This is one of my all-time favorite chicken recipes, and I’ve been making it for years. Once you make it, you will never go back to plain roast chicken!
I am almost always in the mood for roast chicken.. when I’m happy, when I’m sad and when I want to entertain family and friends. I love this recipe because it really dresses up a simple dish. I stuff goat cheese and Herbes de Provence under the skin which adds so much flavor and tenderizes the breast meat. You can also roast other winter vegetables like parsnips and butternut squash. Especially on a cold winter day, it is the ultimate comfort food.
Please watch my video and learn exactly how to make this delicious chicken!
MY FAVORITE ROAST CHICKEN WITH GOAT CHEESE AND HERBS STUFFED UNDER THE SKIN
Serves 4-6
2/3 cup (about 6 ounces) soft, fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
3 ½ tablespoons roasted garlic puree
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large roasting chicken, about 3 ½ pounds (preferably organic)
1 bag peeled baby carrots, pinch sugar
1 cup good quality chicken broth
½ cup dry white wine
6-8 large whole unpeeled garlic cloves
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
To make the garlic puree, tightly wrap a whole head of garlic in foil and roast for about 30 minutes. When it is cool enough to handle, unwrap it and squeeze the garlic out of each clove into a small bowl. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, thoroughly stir together the goat cheese, parsley, butter, shallot, garlic puree and 1 ½ teaspoons each of the rosemary and thyme and ½ teaspoon each of the Herbes de Provence, salt and pepper.
Pat the chicken dry. Remove all visible fat. Loosen the skin over the breast meat, thighs, and as far down the legs as possible by gently sliding your fingers between the skin and the meat, avoid tearing the skin. Stuff the cheese mixture under the skin of the breasts, thighs and legs, using it all. Squeeze the juice from the lemon all over the chicken. Put ½ of the lemon inside the cavity of the chicken. Rub the remaining ½ teaspoon each of rosemary and thyme and herbs into the skin of the chicken. Drizzle with olive oil. Set chicken on a rack in a roasting pan or a baking sheet. Add the broth, wine and whole garlic to the pan.
Place the carrots in a separate bowl and add to them a pinch of sugar, salt, and pepper. Place carrots in the bottom of the roasting pan.
Cover the roasting pan with foil and put the chicken in the oven for 1 hour. Take the foil off and continue cooking until chicken skin is crispy and the meat is just cooked through while remaining juicy, 20-30 minutes.
After you remove the chicken from the oven, pour off the pan juices into a gravy strainer. Pour the juices into a saucepan on top of the stove. Boil until gravy is thick and reduced. Transfer to a gravy boat. ( You can also just strain the gravy and serve it immediately)
Carve the chicken and arrange it on a platter with the carrots, garlic and herbs. Serve the chicken warm or at room temperature.
