Aug 2nd, 2007
Roasted Chicken
If your into something elegant and gourmet this dish is written all over you, my version of Tyler Florence’s Roasted Chicken is a herby and fruity experience.
5 chicken breasts,butterflied
1/2 tbs and 1 tsp. fresh oregano
1/2 tbs and 1 tsp. fresh thyme
1/2 tbs and 1 tsp. fresh Italian parsley
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 orange segments
5 thinly sliced apple segments
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
15 onion rings
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup dry sherry
Serving suggestion: roast potatoes, watercress and gravy.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Divide the herbs, keeping 1/2 of them whole. Finely chop the other half. In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the chopped herbs, until combined. Rub the herb butter inside, as well as all over the outside of the chicken. Season the it all over with salt and pepper. Stuff each of the insides with the orange and apple segments, garlic, with 2 onion rings each (save the remaining). Place the chicken in a roasting pan. Put the remaining onion into the pan, which will help color and flavor the sauce. Roast for 25 minutes.
Baste the chicken with the drippings and cook for another 25 minutes to brown the skin. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part. Remove the chicken to a platter and let stand for 10 minutes, so the juices settle back into the meat before carving.
Meanwhile, remove the softened onion from the roasting pan. Tilt the pan so the drippings collect in 1 corner, skimming off as much fat as possible, and leaving the drippings. Place the roasting pan on top of the stove over medium heat and take a wooden spoon to scrape up the flavor from the bottom of the pan. Stir the flour into the drippings to make a roux-like paste. Pour in the chicken broth in stages; continue to stir to dissolve the flour evenly to prevent lumps. Stir in the sherry and season with salt and pepper.
To serve, cut the chicken table-side and squeeze the oranges from the inside of the chicken over the it.
