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Whole Chicken serves 4-6 people
You'll Need: 1 Whole organic Free Range chicken (thawed) about 6 pounds*, herb butter (see recipe below), 1 inch piece of ginger (peeled, left whole), 4 cloves garlic (peeled, left whole), 5 sprigs fresh rosemary (left on stems), 1 organic lemon (quartered), kosher salt and black pepper, White Wine Au Jus (see recipe below)
White Wine Au Jus Ingredients: 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp orange marmalade, 2 oz of reserved chicken juices (fat skimmed off and removed), zest of 1/2 organic lemon, 1/4 cup white wine, 1/4 cup beef stock, and more salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the neck and liver from inside the cavity (and any other loose parts that are in there). Discard or reserve for a soup later. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper (use separate bowls with the s and p so you don't cross contaminate with any chicken exposure). Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the whole ginger, whole garlic cloves, 5 sprigs of rosemary and quartered lemon. In a large separate bowl, mix and combine all of the herb butter ingredients with your hands. Loosen the edge of the chicken skin over the breast and back. Edge your fingers into the cavity to loosen it up. Rub the herb butter under the skin, covering as much of the chicken as possible. Be gentle and try to avoid ripping the skin. Use all the herb butter. Any remaining butter can be rubbed on the outside of the chicken skin. Using butcher tie, with the breast facing up, place the tie under the neck, pull up and over the legs in an X motion. Tie the string in a bow or a knot. Using a separate piece of butcher string, slide string under the chicken and pull the wings upward so they are flat against the body of the chicken and tie in a bow or a knot. Place chicken on a roasting rack over a baking sheet. Place in a 450 degree F oven for 15 minutes on the center rack. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. Bake for an additional 20 minutes per pound. For a 6 pound turkey, you'd bake the chicken an additional 120 minutes at 350 degrees F. Adjust cooking time accordingly if weight of chicken varies. Remove chicken from oven and transfer to a heat safe platter. Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes. The Carryover cooking will allow the chicken to continue cooking slightly. Note, the internal temperature of the inner thigh should be 165 degrees F (do not let the thermometer touch the bone). Transfer all of the remaining juices to a clear, glass measuring cup. Let it settle for a couple minutes. Pour off the remaining fat. You should have about 2 oz of delicious chicken juices left. Set this aside. In a small saute pan, heat the 1 Tbsp olive oil. Whisk in the marmalade and cook for a couple minutes. Add the 2 oz of chicken juices, the lemon zest, white wine, beef stock and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat and whisk occasionally, until it reduces in half. Strain the sauce over a sieve for a smooth texture or leave the sauce as is. Transfer to a heat safe serving cup. To serve, spoon a bit of the Wine Au Jus sauce on a plate,
and place the chicken slices off center, on top of the the sauce. Garnish with a lemon slice. Enjoy.Note to the Cook: Salt and Pepper is used 3 times in this recipe. The only specific area where the salt and pepper is measured out is for the Herb Butter. For the entire chicken preparation and the sauce, salt and pepper using the quantities that are to your taste. I recommend sprinkling the chicken generously for preparation. Add salt and pepper to the sauce sparingly, as you can always add more, but you cannot remove it once it's added.
* Note, the chicken is 6 pounds to begin with because it has the bones, fat, meat, etc. The cooked portion that remains for eating, will only serve about 4-6 hungry adults.
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