Roasted tarragon chicken with spanish sherry
4 Servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | pounds | Fryer or roaster chicken |
| 1 | tablespoon | Tarragon leaves,fine chopped |
| 3 | tablespoons | Soften butter |
| Salt | ||
| Fresh ground black pepper | ||
| 3 | Onions,peeled and quartered | |
| 3 | Potatoes,peel,quarter | |
| 3 | Carrots,peel,quarter | |
| ¼ | cup | Dry white wine or vermouth |
| ¼ | cup | Spanish sherry vinegar |
| ¼ | cup | Water |
| Tarragon leaves for garnish | ||
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Twist wings back and underneath.Combine chopped tarragon and butter with a fork until soft.
Gently,using just fingers,loosen the skin from the breast meat,pulling away the thin membrane that joins them.You can eventually work your way to the legs and partially separate the skin there as well.Distribute tarragon butter mixture under the skin until the whole area is mostly covered.Season the chicken outside and in the open cavity with salt and pepper.Stick a sprig of tarragon in the cavity;tie the legs together with twine or skewer them.
Place chicken,breast up,in a small roasting pan large enough to hold it and the vegetables snugly.Distribute onions,potatoes and carrots around chicken.Add wine.Place in the middle level of oven and cook for 20 minutes.Turn oven to 350 degrees;baste chicken and vegetables with pan juices.Cook for another 20 minutes and baste again.Ten minutes later,pour sherry vinegar over chicken and baste.Cook another 10 to 12 minutes.Baste again and add ¼ cup water.Cook about 10 minutes longer.Chicken is done if the leg joint moves easily and juices run yellow when flesh is pierced with a fork.Garnish with tarragon leaves.