American cuisine
Ingredients:
- 2 lemons.
- 2 tbsp unsalted
butter, softened.
- 2 tbsp finely chopped
fresh tarragon.
- ¾ tsp salt.
- ½ tsp black pepper.
- 1 chicken (3 ½ lb),
rinsed and patted dry.
- 1 head garlic, left
unpeeled and halved horizontally.
- ¼ cup mild honey.
- 1 tbsp olive oil.
Directions:
- Put oven rack in
middle position and preheat to 425°F.
- Finely grate enough
zest from 1 lemon to measure 1 tbsp, and then squeeze enough juice from same
lemon to measure 2 tbsp.
- Stir together butter,
tarragon, zest, ½ tsp salt, and pepper.
- Put chicken, breast
side up, in a small roasting pan.
- Starting from neck,
work your fingers gently between skin and flesh of breast to loosen skin all
the way to thighs without tearing.
- Put one fourth of
tarragon butter under skin of each breast, then rub skin from outside to spread
evenly.
- Starting from large
cavity, loosen skin on both sides of cavity with a paring knife to provide
access to thighs, and then work your fingers gently between skin and flesh of
thighs and drumsticks.
- Divide remaining
tarragon butter among thighs and drumsticks, rubbing skin from outside to
spread evenly.
- Season cavity and skin
with salt and pepper, then halve remaining lemon and put inside cavity along
with garlic.
- Whisk together honey,
lemon juice, oil, and remaining ¼ tsp salt.
- Roast chicken 30
minutes, then brush pan juices and half of honey mixture over chicken and roast
10 minutes more.
- Brush chicken again
with pan juices and remaining honey mixture and continue to roast until
thermometer inserted in fleshy part of a thigh, registers 170°F, about 20
minutes more.
- Transfer chicken to a
cutting board and let stand 10 to 15 minutes before carving.
- Skim fat from pan
juices and serve juices with chicken.