Friday, January 13, 2006

Tarragon Roast Chicken

Could it already be halfway through January? I have really been slack with my posts for my Blog during the last quarter of 2005. I could use the excuse that I was busy at work, relentless travel schedule, crunching numbers and burning the midnight oil to finish out the year on a corporate high. I was really busy, and I have only been to Vancouver, Barrie, Orillia, Bracebridge. Not necessarily glamorous and mostly not work related. I really never crunch numbers, unless eating cookies shaped as numbers or balling up the change from shopping and throwing it into the bottom of my purse instead of my wallet counts. I have been really busy at work running a product blitz, designing a new training program, National Sales Meetings and product presentations. But I have always found the time to be cooking something, it brings out my creativity..... And Santa ( aka 'the husband') gave me some truly wonderful cookbooks for Christmas. Also my sisters gave me a really great one from Vancouver called "La Regalade", by Alain Raye. But truthfully, I was just too lazy. I just slacked off. I just got back home from a week away from home. Monday through Thursday, I was at a national sales meeting away from my home but as a guest in my own city. It was really cool to be a tourist and tour guide on your home turf. But tonight I have a tiny tickle in the back of my throat and craving food from my own kitchen, and on the menu is Roast Chicken. Comfort food. This is just a basic roast chicken, I have made it with and without the Tarragon and with all sorts of other herbs like thyme or rosemary even with cilantro all of which taste great. I have also made it 3 at a time to feed a crowd. It is super easy, smells and tastes great, and your guests ( if they mostly eat out of boxes) will think you have reached a stage in your cooking akin to splitting the atom. Be creative have fun it will be our little secret. 1 chicken 2 small onions roughly chopped olive oil 3 - 5 sprigs fresh Tarragon 1 lemon, quartered seasalt ( or any other salt you may have on hand) 3 tablespoons of melted butter toasted slices of French bread Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove any giblets from chicken, rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Generously salt the inside of the bird. Roughly chop the Tarragon. Loosely stuff, the chicken with about 1/2 to 3/4 of the lemon and Tarragon. Place the onions in a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil and place the chicken on top and any left over lemon. Brush with melted butter and place in a preheated oven for about 1 hour or until the juices run clear ( if you are doubling or tripling adjust the time accordingly). Remove chicken from the pan and rest for 15 minutes but keep warm. Drain excess fat off the top of the juices in the pan. I toast my French bread in a pan on the stove top as rough croutons with olive oil and a bit of garlic but in a pinch I guess you could just throw them into the regular toaster. Place the croutons on a platter, slice chicken and place on top. Pour the pan juices , onions and any blackened roasted lemons from outside of the bird over it. The crisp bread will soak up all the juicy sauce, yummy. Serve with Green Beans and a salad, if desired add some couscous as a extra side for a crowd.