Fancy Apricot Chicken - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (4 lb) whole chickens
1 (15 ounce) can apricot halves in light syrup, drained and reserve 1/4 cup syrup
1/2 large white onion, wedged
2 cinnamon sticks
5 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder (I use from McCormick's Gourmet Collection the \"Hot Madras Curry Powder\" and it is really wonderful)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Rice
6 cups cooked white rice, still hot
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons butter
Sauce
2/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 475F, line the bottom of a 9\"-13\" pan with foil (I like nonstick foil).
Remove the giblets from the chicken and just throw them away.
Dry the bird off and place it, breast side up, in the lined pan.
Stuff the bird with as many apricots and onion pieces as you can then just toss the ones that would fit around the bird Stuff the cinnamon sticks, one under each breast, inside the bird.
Smear the butter, curry powder, and cayenne all over the top and sides of the chicken.
Cook for 20 minutes in the 475F oven then loosely cover with foil, turn the oven to 350F and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours more.
When the bird is down, remove from the oven and spit it open down the back bone.
Turn oven down to 250\u00b0F.
Remove the apricots and onion from inside and around the bird and place them in a blender or food processor.
Finish carving the bird and set it aside.
Line another 9\"-13\" pan with foil (or use the same one that has just been cleaned) Pour the rice into the pan and stir in the butter and curry powder.
Place the chicken on top of the rice and set aside.
Add all the ingredients for the sauce plus 1/4 cup reserved apricot syrup to the blender or food processor with the cooked apricots and onion.
Blend until smooth then pour over the chicken.
Return to the 250F oven for 15 minutes.