Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 1 (5 1/2 lb,) chicken
1/2 bunch each fresh oregano, thyme & parsley
1/4 lb. unsalted butter, softened
Salt & ground black pepper
1 orange, halved
1/2 head garlic
1 medium white onion, halved, plus 1 onion
6 strips smoked bacon
2 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. dry sherry
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Directions: |
Directions:Preheat oven to 425.
Rinse the chicken with cool water inside & out. Pat dry with paper towels.
Divide the herbs, keeping 1/2 of them whole. Finely chop the other half. In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the chopped herbs, until combined. Rub the herbed butter under the skin, as well as all over the outside of the chicken. Season the bird all over with salt & pepper. Stuff the cavity with the orange, garlic, 1 onion, & remaining herbs. Tie the legs together with a kitchen twin to help hold its shape. Place the chicken, breast-side up, in a roasting pan. Put the remaining onion into the pan, which will help color and flavor the sauce. Lay the strips of bacon across the breast of the chicken and roast for 25 minutes.
Remove the bacon & baste the chicken with the drippings and cook for another 25 minutes to brown the skin. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh. (The legs of the chicken should wiggle easily from the sockets too.) Remove the chicken to a platter & let stand 10 minutes, so the juices settle back into the meat before carving.
Meanwhile, remove the softened onion from the roasting pan. tilt the pan so the drippings collect in 1 corner, skimming off as much fat as possible, & leaving the drippings. Place the roasting pan on top of the stove over medium heat & take a wooden spoon to scrape up the flavor from the bottom of the pan. Stir the flour into the drippings to make a roux-like paste. Pour in the chicken broth in stages, continue to stir to dissolve the flour evenly to prevent lumps. Stir in the sherry & season with salt & pepper.
To serve, carve the chicken table-side & squeeze the oranges from the cavity over the meat. |
This recipe for The Ultimate Roast Chicken is from