Beer Can Fryers and Out-of-Bird Stuffing with Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto. 

The beer cans don't really fit a fryer-sized chicken, so I modified them with some tin snips. I seasoned the chicken with a salt-pepper-bay-herb-Du-Provence mixture ground in a little coffee grinder I keep around for just that. I filled the beer can 2/3 from the top with beer, garlic, one bay leaf, and herb Du Provence. I roasted the fryers for 75-80 minutes @375f. Perfect. 

While they were roasting I browned off the tips of the wings, the necks, livers and such, and 2 cups mirepoix. I added 2 quarts of water, bay leaves, garlic cloves, veggie scraps and some miso-liquid (soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce will do) and simmered that for the duration of the roasting. This stock I will use for a risotto. 

Meanwhile I cubed some chiabatta bread and toasted it in the oven for 10 minutes. I sauteed an onion and garlic until soft, browned some smoked sausage then added a table-spoon of Dijon mustard (Maille is my favorite) and combined. Stirred in the bread and a mixture of 2 cups of an egg and milk. Combining all of that in a casserole dish and covered with foil, 45 minutes in the oven (last 10 minutes uncovered) for an out-of-bird stuffing.

20 minutes before those above dishes are ready, I started the risotto. Sweated an onion and some garlic, chopped finely, reserved. Browned some mushrooms, reserved w/ onion. Chopped a bunch of asparagus into 1 inch segments, and blanched. Threw the woody ends into the stock. Strained bones and veg out of the stock and tasted for re-seasoning. Toasted a medium grain rice until opaque, added strained, simmering stock, 1 cup at a time until almost adente, added reserved onion, garlic, mushrooms, and asparagus. I added some yogurt at the very end to provide tang and creamy texture. If you have fresh herbs, chop them and throw them on the top. Always taste for re-seasoning.

When chicken and stuffing are done I rest them for at least 10 minutes. Now sit down and eat. 

Any drippings can be I add to any extra stock. Refrigerate that and strain off the fat. Then freeze it.

I cannot stress the ease of making  stock. If you have the skin of an onion, a bone (raw or cooked) and a pot full of water, and 45 minutes, you should make stock. If you make salad or trim vegetables for a dish freeze the scraps in a bag and the next time to have some time, like when you are doing laundry or raking leaves, make some stock, it is good for you. The versatility of this frozen stock cannot be summed up in one page of blog space.