Roast Chicken with Mushroom-Barley Stuffing

1 cup dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup boiling water
4lbs. roasting chicken
1¼ tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
4 thyme sprigs
1 small onion, quartered
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup chopped shallots
16oz. pkg. button mushrooms, sliced
1 cup water
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking barley
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1½ tsp. sherry vinegar

Combine porcini and 1 cup boiling water; cover and let stand 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425°.

Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Trim excess fat. Starting at
neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers,
gently pushing between skin and meat. Rub 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp.
pepper under loosened skin and over breast and drumsticks. Lift wing tips
up and over back; tuck under chicken. Stuff thyme sprigs and onion
quarters into body cavity. Tie ends of legs together with twine. Place
chicken on a rack in a roasting pan. Bake at 425° for 1 hour or until a
thermometer inserted into meaty part of thigh registers 165°. Remove
chicken from pan; cover and keep warm.

Drain porcini in a colander over a bowl; reserve 2/3 cup liquid. Chop porcini.
Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour
chicken drippings into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the
top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings
into a small saucepan, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard
fat. Add flour to drippings, stirring with a whisk until smooth; cook 1 minute
over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add 1/3 cup mushroom soaking
liquid and 1½ cups broth, stirring with a whisk; cook 8 minutes or until
thickened, stirring frequently with a whisk. Stir in 1/2 tsp. salt; cover and keep warm.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots to pan;
sauté 3 minutes. Add porcini and button mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes or
until tender. Stir half of mushroom mixture into gravy; cover and keep
warm. Add remaining broth, salt, pepper, and mushroom soaking liquid, 1 cup
water, and barley to remaining mushroom mixture in medium saucepan.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until barley is
tender. Stir in chopped thyme and vinegar. Remove and discard skin from
chicken. Serve chicken with stuffing and gravy.

6 servings