Roasted Chicken with Herbs de Provence

Name: Roasted Chicken with Herbs de Provence
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 80 min
Ingredients: 1 Roaster Chicken (Whole); 1 Tbs. Olive Oil (Extra Virgin); 2 tsp. Dijon mustard; 1 clove garlic (finely minced); 1 tsp. Onion (minced); 1 tsp. Herbs de Provence (spice); 1 bunch fresh herbs (Rosemary, thyme, sage); 1 tsp. salt (sea salt); 1 tsp. black pepper (freshly ground)

prep 20 min.

ready 1 hr. 45 min.

serves 4-6

I have been planning on what to make for cool fall weather meals for simple artistic cooking. (If you have any suggestions let me know.) I purchased a whole free-range frying chicken from a market that buys from a local poultry farm. The chicken was a little more expensive compared to some other birds from mega grocers, but you get what you pay for. I also wanted to use some of the herbs from my garden before the frost kills them and before I take some of them inside to hang dry. I have a lot of sage, thyme, and rosemary so I took a good portion of each herb and stuffed it into the cavity of the bird along with a couple of tablespoons of butter. Then I used kitchen string to bound the legs of the chicken and baked it. Having the fresh herbs really helped in flavoring the chicken because you could taste each of the herbs in the end result. It was very moist and oh so good. I love growing my own herbs and hate to see the weather taking them away. I do not have as good of luck growing them indoors as I do outside.

Having vacationed in the Provence region of France, I know how delicious the roasted chickens are from the local markets there so I thought I would try to make one. It is a wonderful meal for a cool fall evening. I purchased an Herbs de Provence spice package at World Market. It was very inexpensive and there is enough to last quite a long time. I typically buy small containers of spices, but this was the only size they had. It’s hard to match the exact taste from what you get in France, but surprisingly it was pretty close. For side dishes, I made homemade mashed garlic potatoes and steamed broccoli. We were able to get enough leftovers to enjoy this meal a second night. I asked my wife if I should make this again. With a big smile and a quick response, she said, Yes!”

Ingredients

• 1 whole roaster chicken (I used a four-pound bird) washed and patted dry

• 1 Tbs. olive oil

• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard

• 1 clove of garlic, finely minced

• 1 tsp. onion, minced

• 1 tsp. Herbs de Provence

• Bunch of fresh herbs. (I used rosemary, thyme, and sage from my garden.)

• 1 tsp. salt (I used ground sea salt.)

• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375º F.

2. Wash and pat dry your chicken.

3. Place chicken in a roasting pan, Dutch oven, or cast-iron skillet. I used one of my favorite well-seasoned Griswold skillets.

4. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.

5. With a teaspoon, gently loosen the skin at the breast (both sides) of the chicken and slide the spoon in and out to separate the skin from the meat.

6. Spoon about 1/4 of the mixture into each side of the breast. With your fingers push the mixture so that it spreads over the entire breast if possible.

7. Spread the remaining 1/2 of the mixture on the entire top of the bird. (I sprinkled a little additional dry Herbs of Provence spice on top.)

8. Bake for 20 minutes per pound until it turns a dark golden brown color. (You will be drooling at this point because of the delicioius aroma in your kitchen). I had a four-pound bird so I cooked it 80 min.

9. Let cool 10-15 minutes before carving and serving the bird.