French Roasted Chicken
This recipe is inspired from several recipes. Ina’ Roast Chicken, the Standard Grill’s Million Dollar Chicken, and the amazing markets in France.
In high school, my darling mother and I travelled to France. And, while I wasn’t into cooking then, I loved the food. The bakeries and patisseries. The open markets. It was beautiful!
This chicken is stuffed with lemon, onion, sage, thyme, and garlic; and roasted over crusty sourdough bread slices. While it looks daunting, it is an easy recipe every one should know how to make.
And, I should qualify “recipe” — this isn’t a recipe with measurements.
Start with a fresh chicken, and remove the “stuff” inside. That’s the worst part… reaching in there! If you purchase your chicken from a butcher, they will do it for you! Though most people like to keep those items for making stock… I do not…
Sprinkle salt and pepper inside the cavity of the chicken. Use a good amount.
Stuff your chicken with a myriad of items. Quartered onion, lemon, fresh sage and thyme, and a halved head of garlic.
In a cast iron skillet, place your sourdough slices in the middle. I use two large slices, from the middle of the bread. However, several smaller slices could fit if you wanted.
Place your stuffed chicken on top of the bread. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper liberally.
Roast in a preheated 425˚ oven for an hour or so. Depending on the size of your bird. Every 15 minutes, baste your bird with the juices from the pan.
Once cooked through, when the juices run clear between the leg and thigh, remove from oven. Remove the chicken from the pan, and place on a cutting board (I use one that has a well around to catch all the yummy juices!), tenting with foil while it rests for 15 minutes.
Your bread will look like this (this is the flip side!)
This bread is wonderful cut into croutons, or just eaten alongside the roast chicken.
French Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- Fresh whole “fryer” chicken
- salt and pepper
- 1 Yellow onion, quarter
- 1 garlic head, cut in half, ‘hamburger’ style
- Fresh Sage leaves
- Fresh Thyme
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 2 large slices of sourdough bread, preferable stale.
- Olive Oil to drizzle on chicken
Instructions
- Start with a fresh chicken, and remove the “stuff” inside. That’s the worst part… reaching in there! If you purchase your chicken from a butcher, they will do it for you! Though most people like to keep those items for making stock… I do not…
- Sprinkle salt and pepper inside the cavity of the chicken. Use a good amount.
- Stuff your chicken with onion, garlic, sage, thyme, and lemon
- In a cast iron skillet, place your sourdough slices in the middle. I use two large slices, from the middle of the bread. However, several smaller slices could fit if you wanted.
- Place your stuffed chicken on top of the bread. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper liberally.
- Roast in a preheated 425˚ oven for an hour or so. Depending on the size of your bird. Every 15 minutes, baste your bird with the juices from the pan.
- Once cooked through, when the juices run clear between the leg and thigh, remove from oven. Remove the chicken from the pan, and place on a cutting board (I use one that has a well around to catch all the yummy juices!), tenting with foil while it rests for 15 minutes.