Roasted Free Range Chicken Food

TARRAGON & MUSTARD ROASTED FREE-RANGE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Put the tarragon stalks, vegetables, olive oil and garlic in a heavy roasting tin. Place on a high heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to brown.
• While the vegetables are cooking, remove any string from the chickens, sprinkle the cavities with salt and pepper and stuff the lemon quarters inside.
• Lay the chickens, breast-side down, on top of the veg. Season with salt and pepper, scatter over half the chopped tarragon leaves, then drizzle with a little olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, mix 1 tbsp mustard with the remaining chopped tarragon leaves.
• Remove the roasting tin from the oven, turn the chickens over and spread with the mustard mixture. Return the chickens to the oven and roast for a further 40 minutes or until the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced with a skewer.
• Remove the chickens to a dish or 2 large plates and cover each one with an upturned bowl. Skim any excess fat from the roasting tin. Place the tin on a high heat, pour in the wine, and boil for 8-10 minutes until the wine has almost completely reduced. Now pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then simmer for 5-7 minutes until reduced by half. Stir in 1 tsp mustard, season to taste and strain into a gravy boat.

TARRAGON-ROASTED FREE-RANGE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl, combine the butter, tarragon, shallot, zest, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Mash with a spoon until smooth.
• Remove the giblets and excess fat from the cavity of the chicken and sprinkle it inside and out with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, loosen the skin over the breast and work 2/3 of the butter mixture into the space between the skin and breast meat. Rub the remaining butter mixture over the skin and in the cavity. Place the reserved tarragon stems in the cavity.
• Transfer the bird to a roasting pan fitted with a rack and roast for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 375 degrees and continue to roast until the juices run clear when the flesh is pricked with a fork at the thickest part of the thigh, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

ROASTED ROCKY FREE-RANGE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Stuff the cavity of each chicken with 4 cloves of the garlic, half an onion, 2 lemons and 2 sprigs of tarragon. Season with salt and peppercorns.
• Lay the chickens, breast side down, on a rack over a small roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes. Baste continually with melted butter. After 30 minutes have elapsed, lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Continue basting until the meat is opaque at the bone, about 30 additional minutes.
• Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Set the chickens aside for 10 minutes. Pour out the fat that has accumulated in the pan. Place the roasting pan on a burner over medium heat. Stir in the chicken broth and simmer until it reduces to 3/4 cup, about 5 to 10 minutes. Strain.
• Cut the two chickens in half and divide among 4 plates. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with roasted potatoes.

THE BEST ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Mix butter, garlic, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a bowl.
• Loosen skin on chicken breast; rub butter mixture between skin and breast meat. Press on the skin to distribute evenly. Rub oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper all over; place lemon halves inside cavity. Set in a baking pan.
• Roast in the preheated oven, basting after 30 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink, about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Let rest before carving, about 15 minutes.