Tarragon Chicken
Published May 21, 2002
Lisa Nicklin for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 3- to 4-pound chicken
¾ cup chopped fresh tarragon
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
½ cup olive oil
Malden salt or other flaky sea salt
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
6 grams carbs; 298 milligrams cholesterol; 1120 calories; 45 grams monounsaturated fat; 16 grams polyunsaturated fat; 21 grams saturated fat; 88 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 1141 milligrams sodium; 76 grams protein; 1 gram sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Butterfly chicken by placing it breast-side down and, using kitchen shears, cutting along both sides of backbone and through small rib bones. Discard backbone, and place chicken in a large plastic bag with zipper. Add ½ cup tarragon, the lemon juice and zest, and olive oil. Expel as much air as possible from bag, and make sure marinade coats chicken. Refrigerate for at least ½ hour and up to 24 hours.
- Step 2
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken in a roasting pan, spread flat, breast side up. Roast until skin is crisp and golden, 35 to 45 minutes.
- Step 3
Sprinkle with salt to taste, and cut into 8 serving pieces. Transfer to a platter, and garnish with remaining tarragon. Serve, if desired, with salad and roasted potatoes.
Private Notes
Comments
Totally simple to do prep and cook. we did it on our Traeger. It turned out great - a little lemony, a little herby, a little smoky with a crispy skin. A three pounder at 400F for an hour; we added little red potatoes for the last 25 minutes of chicken cooking.
Use all the olive oil (1/2 cup) and 1/2 chopped tarragon for the marinade (step 1), use the remaining tarragon (1/4 cup) for garnish (step 3)
I am definitely saving this recipe -- it sounds so simple and almost banal, but it's really superb. Easy and delicious, and the chicken comes out tender and moist, despite the high temp roasting. I marinated the chicken for a little over 24 hours. I served it to guests who are used to fine dining, and they loved it. The menu included a wild rice recipe (on this site -- with shallot and chopped carrot) and sautéed baby spinach with garlic, golden raisins and pine nuts.
@Brian Motisky YES! AND I roast it with all the other frozen raw chicken bones that I gather first, THEN put into stock pot with veggies, etc. Voila!
Used the heated iron skillet. Carrots around it became lovely. Whatever the sauce left behind was very tasty after defatting. Slightly overcooked with 45 mins.
The recipient calls for a roasting pan yet the photo shows a cast iron skillet with very nicely browned chicken. Unlikely to get that browned in the oven in my experience.