Tarragon-Roasted Chicken
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Servings:
Ingredients
  • 1 2 1⁄2- to 3-pound) whole chicken (preferably organic and free-range)
  • 2 lemons, halved
  • salt, to taste
  • 6 sprigs fresh tarragon, coarsely torn
  • 4 fresh sage leaves, coarsely torn
  • 2 or 3 fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Rinse the chicken inside and out under cold running water. Pat it dry with paper towels.
  3. Set the chicken in a roasting pan and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over it, inside and out. Generously season the chicken with salt, inside and out. Push half the remaining lemon all the way into the cavity, stuff in the tarragon, sage, and rosemary, and add the remaining lemon half, like a cap for the cavity. Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken, rubbing to coat the bird well, and grind pepper all over it.
  4. Position a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, avoiding the bone. Place the roasting pan in the oven and roast the chicken for 45 to 50 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and the temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Let it rest for about 10 minutes before carving and serving.