Tarragon Chicken

Here is another Chicken recipe: I have been playing with roasted chickens, trying different variations on the standard Julie Child's roast chicken recipe.

Tarragon Chicken

Ingredients

1 3 to 5 lb whole chicken
2 cups low salt chicken stock
6 table spoons of butter
1/3 cup dry white wine
6 cloves of garlic smashed
3 to 6 sprigs of fresh Tarragon
salt and pepper to taste

1 cup heavy cream
2 cups reserved chicken drippings from pan
1 large egg yolk
2 table spoons of butter
2 table spoons lemon juice
1 table spoon flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Using your finger make a space between the skin of the chicken and the meat. next add butter, garlic and tarragon to the space created. Make sure to do this on all sides of the bird. Place the remaining butter, garlic and tarragon in the cavity of the bird and truss the bird closed with twine. Season the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper.

In a Dutch oven just large enough for the bird, place the chicken and brown on all sides about 5 minutes each side. You will need to rotate the chicken in the pan. Once all brown, place the chicken breast side up and add the chicken stock and wine. You want it to go about half way up the side of the chicken: add more or less chicken stock to reach the half way mark.

Cover chicken and place in the oven for about 1 hours and 15 minutes. When you are at the last 15 minutes, remove cover.

Once the chicken is done, remove bird from pan and strain the drippings and reserve.

Now to make the gravy, melt the 2 table spoons of butter in a sauce pan, next whisk in the flour. Once you have a nice pale color rue add a cup of the drippings, the egg yolk, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to almost to a boil and remove the pot from the heat. Note: you want to whisking the sauce the whole time when it is on the heat. Now add the cream and 1 more cup of drippings. If you do not have enough drippings add chicken stock to make up what you are lacking. Once all blended transfer to a gravy boat.

Place the chicken on a nice serving platter and garnish with tarragon and serve.

Enjoy Cooking