Sam's Kitchen

Isn’t there something very comforting about roasting chicken? Something that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside from the aromas? Lovely golden chicken surrounded by veggies or in a yummy sauce, just like the one that I made last Sunday.

I was very fortunate to share my dinner with my dearest friends Kat and Max, my loyal guinea pigs. And to my relieve everyone thoroughly enjoyed the chicken.

There are no quirks to this roast; it’s pretty much straight forward and ridiculously simple to cook.
Full of continental flavours this chicken will take you to France-almost!

Ingredients

Whole chicken about 1,5 kg washed and pat dried
2 tbsp butter melted
1 bunch French tarragon about 20g
1 lemon
2 medium carrots cut into 3-inch sticks
4 small potatoes halved
1 stalk celery cut into 3-inch sticks
1 large Spanish ( red ) onion
4 garlic cloves skin on
1 cup chicken stock
1 bay leave
1/3 cup dry white wine
3-5 tbsp Creme Fraiche or heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Rub the chicken with a little bit of salt and melted butter, then fill the cavity with half of the tarragon and arrange the rest of the tarragon over the chicken.
3. Cut lemon in half and squeeze the juice from one-half of the lemon all over the chicken, then push both lemon halves into the cavity.
4. Arrange all vegetables including garlic, lemon peel, bay leave and the rest of the tarragon on the bottom of a cast iron pot or any other heavy pot with a lid. Season vegetables with salt and pepper.
5. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables and pour chicken stock and wine in. Place the lid on. Bring to a simmer on a top stove over low heat, then move to preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid and reduce the heat to 170C and bake for a further one hour or till chicken is golden brown.
6. Remove from oven. Carefully pour few big spoonfuls of the juices from the pot into the bowl and mix in the creme fraiche.
7. Pour the sauce back into the pot and gently stir in. Put the lid back on and bring to a simmer over a low heat on a top stove. Turn the heat off.
   Pour a few spoonfuls of the sauce over the chicken when serving.