Crispy Roast Chicken With Riesling Grapes And Tarragon Recipes

CRISPY ROAST CHICKEN WITH RIESLING, GRAPES AND TARRAGON

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 8, 230°C or 450°F.
• First of all, the chicken and the grapes need to be at room temperature, so remove them from the fridge about an hour (half an hour on a hot day) before cooking. Snip off the strings and open out the chicken.
• Reserve four sprigs of tarragon for later, then strip off the leaves and chop them, reserving a tablespoonful. Now cut the grapes in half and finely chop the shallot. Next, in a bowl, combine the shallots, chopped tarragon and about two-thirds of the grapes, then place the whole lot inside the body cavity of the chicken.
• Then season the chicken with salt and pepper and place it in a roasting tin into the lower third of the oven and roast for 1 hour - without opening the door. (Because ovens vary, test the thickest part of the chicken with a skewer and if the juices run clear, it's cooked. If not, give it another 5-10 minutes.).
• What you now need to do is spoon out the grape stuffing and keep on one side. Then put a wooden spoon into the cavity and, using a spatula to hold the breast end, tip the chicken and let all the juices run out into the roasting tin. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and leave in a warm place to rest for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the tin over direct heat, add the wine and let the whole lot bubble and reduce by half - this will take about 5-6 minutes. Then whisk in the creme fraiche, add the stuffing and the rest of the grapes, and let it gently bubble for another 8 minutes. Finally add the reserved chopped tarragon, carve the chicken, spoon the sauce over and garnish with sprigs of tarragon.
• Notes on ingredients: For a 1.76kg chicken it will take an extra 10 minutes and may smoke a little because of the extra fat content but it's nothing to worry about.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH TARRAGON

Steps:

• Make chicken:
• Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add reserved chicken fat and sauté until fat is rendered and solid pieces brown, about 8 minutes. Strain rendered fat into small bowl. Reserve solid fat pieces.
• Freeze 2 tablespoons rendered chicken fat. Heat 1 tablespoon rendered fat in same saucepan over medium-high heat. Add neck and heart pieces and sauté until brown, about 8 minutes. Add 1/2 cup onion and 1/2 cup carrots; sauté until vegetables are tender, scraping up any browned bits, about 3 minutes. Add 4 cups cold water and reserved solid fat pieces. Bring to boil. Add parsley, thyme, peppercorns and bay leaf. Simmer over low heat until stock is reduced to 2 cups, about 2 hours 30 minutes. (Stock can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Rinse chicken inside and out; pat dry with paper towels. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Rub 2 tablespoons frozen fat over chicken. Sprinkle chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Place chicken, breast side down, on rack in heavy large roasting pan. Fill main cavity with 1/2 cup onion and 1/2 cup carrots. Roast chicken until skin is pale golden and begins to crisp, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Insert large kitchen fork into main cavity of chicken and turn chicken breast side up. Roast until meat thermometer inserted into innermost part of thigh registers 180°F, about 1 hour 15 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to platter. Tent with foil while preparing jus.
• Make jus:
• Pour pan juices into 4-cup glass measuring cup. Do not clean roasting pan. Strain chicken stock into pan juices, pressing on solids to release liquid. Freeze stock mixture 5 minutes.
• Spoon fat off top of stock mixture and place 1 tablespoon fat in same roasting pan. Heat fat over medium heat. Add shallot and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Add stock mixture and tarragon and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Boil until reduced to 1 cup, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, and whisk until melted and well blended. Season jus with salt and pepper. Serve chicken with jus.

CHICKEN WITH RIESLING AND GRAPES

Steps:

• In a large skillet heat the butter and the oil over moderately high heat until the foam subsides, in the fat brown the chicken on all sides for 8 minutes, or until it is golden, and transfer it with tongs to a plate. Reduce the heat to moderately low and in the fat remaining in the skillet cook the shallot and the garlic for 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook the roux, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the Riesling and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the broth, the lemon juice, the thyme, and salt and pepper to taste and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring. Return the chicken to the skillet with any juices that have accumulated on the plate and simmer the mixture, covered, for 15 minutes. Add the grapes and simmer the mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH TARRAGON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Remove fat from the crop and cavity of the chicken. Remove the neck, gizzards and liver and freeze for another use.
• Squeeze half the lemon all over the skin of the chicken. Season the skin with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the remaining half lemon, garlic and 1 bunch whole tarragon.
• Put the chicken in a roasting pan, breast side up, and roast 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the juices run clear. During the first few minutes, either shake the chicken or move it frequently with a wooden spoon to keep it from sticking.
• When chicken is done, tilt it over the roasting pan to let the cavity juices run into the pan. Remove the chicken to a platter. Pour off the fat from the roasting pan.
• Put the pan on top of the stove. Add the wine and bring the contents of the pan to a boil, while scraping the bottom vigorously with a wooden spoon. Stir in tarragon leaves. Let simmer 5 minutes once the pan is thoroughly deglazed. Serve the pan juices over the chicken or pass it separately in a sauce boat.

CRISPY ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Line roasting pan with foil.
• Adjust oven rack to middle position.
• Place roasting pan on rack and heat oven to 475 degrees.
• Coat V rack with cooking spray.
• Combine cornstarch and 2 teaspoons salt in small mixing bowl.
• Poke holes all over chicken skin, using skewer.
• Rub cornstarch mixture evenly over chicken.
• Remove roasting pan from oven.
• Place chicken in V-rack, wing side down.
• Roast for 15 minutes.
• Remove roasting pan from oven and, using wad of paper towels, flip chicken so that other wing is facing up.
• Roast another 15 minutes.
• Again remove roasting pan from oven and, using wad of paper towels, flip chicken so that breast side is up.
• Roast chicken another 20 minutes.
• Remove chicken from oven and insert chicken on angelfood cake pan or empty soda can.
• Rest for 10 minutes.
• Carve chicken and serve.