Roasted Tarragon and Fennel Whole Chicken

Roasted Tarragon and  Fennel Whole Chicken

Delightfully brown and full of juicy meat!

 FIRST OF ALL LET ME SAY I AM BACK!!! 

 

Blogger stopped uploading pictures and I was stumped.  After days of trying many options, I download the newer version of IE and boom.......I was up and working once again.

I usually make my wonderful Greek lemon roasted chicken and potatoes when I get a roasted chicken, but I wanted to change up the taste a bit.  Anytime you want an easy, fulsome and yet kind of elegant meal, think of a Roaster Chicken! They are inexpensive, very tasty and will feed at least four well and many dishes can be made after your first meal.  (i.e.: Soups, sandwiches, casseroles)

It a sample of cooking with simplicity!

1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), rinsed and patted dry

Coarse salt and ground pepper

2 teaspoon tarragon

2 cloves garlic

3 stalks celery cut in thirds

3 medium carrots cut in thirds

1 fennel bulb cut in slices

1 lemon

1 tablespoon olive oil

8-10 red potatoes, any large ones halved.  (Figure 2 per person)

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the neck and liver/ heart stuffed inside the bird and rinse the chicken well.  Pat dry and salt and pepper the inside and out.

Place in a roasting pan the celery, carrots, garlic cloves and fennel.  

   

 

Place bird on vegetables- breast side up. Drizzle with tablespoon
olive oil and then squeeze the lemon all over and stick the lemon rind in the cavity.  Sprinkle with Tarragon and the wine.

 

Put the cut potatoes around the edges of the chicken. Roast for 30  minutes and pull out and baste with liquid (if pan is dry add some chicken stock or even a bit of water). 

Turn heat to 325 degrees.Roast again another 30 minutes until the skin is crispy, the button pops up or if you insert a knife between the leg and body and juices run clear.

 

TIPS:

·        To make sure even more juicy, place pats of butter infused with Tarragon between the skin and the meat by rubbing with your fingers. Does add a bit of calories!

·        I usually cover in foil for half of the cooking time and then finished uncovered.

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!