Whole Roasted Chicken with Chardonnay-Tarragon Sauce, roasted potatoes and carrots

This photo is not the prettiest, I know, but dinner was sooo delicious, AND this is the easiest meal on earth to prepare! AND, kids love it too. It’s a win-win.


Whole Roasted Chicken with Chardonnay-Tarragon Sauce
Makes 4-6 servings

For the chicken:
1 whole chicken, about 4 lb.
3 garlic cloves, chopped
¼ cup parsley, chopped
5 sprigs thyme, optional
1 sprig rosemary, optional
1-2 garlic heads, cut lengthwise, optional
Salt
Black pepper, ground
Extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Mix garlic and parsley with some salt, pepper, and evoo. Distribute between the skin and meat of the chicken breast.
Place thyme, rosemary and garlic, if using, inside the chicken’s cavity. Tie the legs with kitchen twine (optional). Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, drizzle evoo, and give the bird a nice massage.
Put chicken in a pan, preferably on a roasting rack, breast side down. Roast for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 degrees (use the convection oven, if you have it). Roast another 15 minutes.
Turn chicken breast side up, and continue to roast another 45-60 minutes, or until chicken is nicely browned and cooked through (if using a thermometer, the temperature at the legs, not near the bone, should register 180 degree).

For the chardonnay-tarragon sauce:
The sauce is from the cookbook “Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy” by Wolfgang Puck. It is called “chardonnay butter” sauce there, but I think chardonnay-tarragon is a better name. The sauce is optional, but it is so good, I highly recommend you take the extra step and make it.

½ cup chardonnay
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon tarragon, chopped
Salt
Black pepper

When chicken is done, remove it to a platter or a cutting board. Let rest covered with foil. Meanwhile make the sauce.
Pour excess fat from the pan (you can use paper towels to soak the oil). Pour remaining juices into a small pot (or use the roasting pan if it is flame proof). Over high heat, add wine and lemon juice to the pot, bring to a boil and reduce to half the volume. Remove from heat. Add butter and tarragon, salt and pepper, whisk all together. If you like a smooth sauce, blend in a blender, or serve as is.

For the potatoes and carrots:
4-5 medium potatoes, preferably with red skin, cut to quarters
4-6 carrots, cut to big chunks
Salt
Black pepper, ground
Extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

I cook the vegetables separate from the chicken so they don’t get soaked with all the chicken fat. But you can certainly roast them together in the same pan, chicken on top.
Put all in a pan and roast 45-60 minutes in a 350 degrees oven (do this when you roast the chicken to save time and energy).

Oh, and don’t forget the roasted garlic cloves! They are delicious! Eat them.

Enjoy.
Nurit