Chicken roasted with tarragon

In the summer, when fresh tarragon is available, this an exquisite way of cooking chicken.  The flavours of the tarragon and the garlic permeate the chicken beautifully and its taste gives the impression of a spit-roasted bird.  The sauce (really the cooking juices) has just enough flavour of brandy to become really interesting.  It is wonderful both hot and cold.

It is worthy of any dinner party.

The dish originates from France.

Preparation Time: 15 Mins

Cooking Time: 65 Mins

Total Time: 80 Mins

Ingredients

For 6 servings…

30 gms            Butter       

1 tsp               Tarragon  - leaves    

1 clove            Garlic       

                     Salt          

                     Pepper      

1                    Chicken  - whole      

                     Olive oil    

1 small glass     Brandy      

Method

Heat an oven to 200°C.

Knead the butter with the tarragon leaves, garlic, salt and pepper.  Put this inside the bird and coat the bird outside with olive oil.  Roast the bird breast-side down on a v-shaped rack in a roasting dish.  Turn it over at half-time.  1 hour in total should be sufficient.

When the bird is cooked, the brandy in a soup ladle, set light to it, pour it flaming over the chicken and rotate the dish so that the flames spread and continue to burn as long as possible.  Return the bird to a low oven (120°C) for 5 minutes, during which time the resulting brandy sauce will mature and lose its raw flavour.  Serve the sauce with the chicken.

Variations

The sauce can be enhanced by the addition of cream or Madeira.

The chicken can be grilled to give more of a spit-roast flavour.

Wine recommendations

Although almost any wine can accompany this dish, it deserves a good quality red or white.

Conventional

     Burgundy blanc or rouge

Interesting

     Chinon blanc or rouge

     Riesling

Special

     Corton Grand Cru

     Saint Émillion Grand Cru Classé

     Savigny-Lès-Beaune blanc or rouge