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Roast Chicken with Lemon, Tarragon and Garlic

19/2/2012

 

Roast Chicken with Lemon, Tarragon and Garlic

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Roast chicken with lemon, tarragon and garlic: now that's one beautiful bird!
'I could cook chicken a different way each night for a long time without becoming bored, and I am never unmoved by the sight of a roasted chicken. ... I remember when a large, home-reared roasted bird was an absolute treat for Sunday lunch. We held our breath as it was brought to the table'. Stephanie Alexander, The Cook's Companion.

Hear, hear, Stephanie! Roast bird to my mind equals good, simple, honest food. I, too, love a roast chicken and this receipt, adapted from Delia Smith's 'Fast Roast Chicken' in one of her cookery books, is among my favourites. The key ingredients are a fresh, free range, grain fed chicken; good quality EVOO and butter; fresh tarragon, lemon and garlic; and a little sea salt and pepper. No need to fuss too much, just follow the instructions to a beautifully roasted, succulent, flavoursome bird.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH LEMON, TARRAGON AND GARLIC*
1 x whole free range, grain-fed chicken (1.5kg)
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
25g good quality butter at room temperature
1 tablespoon good EVOO
sea salt and ground white pepper, to taste
kitchen twine to truss the bird

Accompaniments:potatoes, sweet potato, carrot, pumpkin, baby beets, parsnip or other vegetables of your choice and plenty of steamed greens.

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C. Make the tarragon and garlic butter, by combining the chopped tarragon and garlic into a small bowl and combine until smooth.

Rinse the chicken briefly under cold water, drain well and pat it dry with paper towelling. Remove and discard the dry flaky skin near the knee joints and trim away any excess fat. Pop the bird into a lined roasting tin. Carefully place some of the herb butter under the skin on the breast area. Spread the remaining butter into the cavity. Stuff the cavity with the lemon slices. Truss by tying the legs together and tuck the wings under the body of the bird. Lightly drizzle over the olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. 

Roast for about 11/2 hours until the chicken is nicely browned. (Allow 45 mins per kg). Add the vegetables to the pan after the first 30 minutes has passed. Baste the chicken with any lemony, garlicky pan juices, carve and serve. This recipe will feed four to six.

Note: *I prefer not to use the wine and lemon juice sauce at the finish. I feel the chicken is quite succulent without any additions.

Tell me, how do you like to roast your chicken? Do you have fond memories of the Sunday roast?
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Tarragon imparts a subtle aniseed flavour to cooking
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The key ingredients to this dish: good EVOO, together with lemon, garlic and tarragon, as well as good quality butter
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Lemon slices stuffed into the cavity of the bird keep the flesh beautifully succulent
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Make a tarragon and garlic butter which you spread under the breast skin and also into the cavity, then fill the cavity of the chicken with the lemon slices and drizzle the bird with good EVOO
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Accompaniments:potatoes, sweet potato, carrot, pumpkin, baby beets, parsnip or other vegetables of your choice, including plenty of steamed greens!
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Lisa link
19/2/2012 04:20:00 pm

What a wonderful combination of flavours :)

Lizzy
19/2/2012 05:35:29 pm

Hi Lisa it is indeed... actually I am seeing a pattern emerge in many of my long time favourite recipes, in that they often have butter, lemon, garlic and herbs. Hope you and BBB are doing well! Not long now!

Kyrstie @ A Fresh Legacy link
19/2/2012 04:54:19 pm

Hi Lizzy, I think tarragon and chicken are a fabulous match. It is one of my favorite herbs to use with chicken, and of course lemon! We also like garlic and ginger when roasting. Have you tried cooking your chicken in an oven bag? It is great, no mess and the chicken is super moist.

Lizzy
19/2/2012 05:36:55 pm

Well hello there Krystie! Aren't they just wonderful, especially with the lemon. Yes, I baked in oven bags for many years, decades ago, and also in the last couple of years. Must say, it does keep the oven clean and the roast moist. Hmmmm... good point, LOL!

Jane @ Shady Baker link
19/2/2012 07:39:45 pm

Yum Lizzy...this looks so good and has made me super hungry at this time of the night! Tarragon is a herb I have not used much, I might have to look into it. I note you are using Cobram Estate olive oil, it is lovely oil :)

Lizzy
19/2/2012 08:18:11 pm

Hello there Jane! It is sooooo good, really good. Tarragon is rather lovely... just a hint of aniseed and it goes so well with citrus. Yes, the Cobram Estate is very good EVOO.

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella link
19/2/2012 08:12:00 pm

Oh yes a roast chicken is such comfort food! It's the one meat dish that my vegetarian brother in law said smells wonderful :)

Lizzy
19/2/2012 08:18:43 pm

Hiya Lorraine... well, if your vegetarian brother in law thinks roast chooky smells good, then it must be!!!

InTolerant Chef link
20/2/2012 08:32:31 am

What a nice combination, I love Rosemary with chicken too, Yumm!

Claire @ Claire K Creations link
20/2/2012 09:26:50 am

That golden skin is calling me. I've always been pretty lazy with roast chicken. Aldi has the best marinated chickens that you just throw in the oven. Maybe I'll have to make my own sometime soon.


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