Million Dollar Chicken
Description
This chicken dish is excellent. It is easy to make, it's rich and moist on the inside and crisp on the outside. The bread is crisp and full of flavor like the chicken and is much like a stuffing at Thanksgiving time. If you don't feel like making a turkey
Ingredients
4 1/2 lb. whole chicken
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
1 lemon, halved
3 cloves garlic, peeled, optional
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 T. olive oil, or as needed, divided
3 thick slices day-old sourdough French bread, each at least 1 inch thick
1 T. olive oil
1 c. creme fraiche
1 T. peeled and grated shallot
1 t. Aleppo pepper (spice)
lemon juice, to taste
1 t. lemon zest
3 chive blossoms for garnish, chopped, optional
Directions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Season inside of chicken cavity and the back generously with salt and pepper. Squeeze the juice of lemon halves into cavity, then drop squeezed peels inside. Stuff cavity with garlic cloves and fresh thyme; add a bay leaf to cavity.
Drizzle 1 T. olive oil into a heavy roasting pan; place sourdough slices into pan; press slices lightly into olive oil to help coat bottom of bread; drizzle 1 more T. olive oil on top of bread slices. Place chicken on top of bread slices; tie legs together with kitchen twine. Brush outside of chicken with 1 T. olive oil; season entire outside with salt.
Bake chicken for 1 hour.
Mix creme fraiche, grated shallot, and Aleppo pepper together in a small bowl; stir 2 T. lemon juice and lemon zest into sauce. Refrigerate until needed.
Lift chicken off bread slices using a tongs; flip bread slices over, which will be very brown. Place chicken back onto the bread slices. Generously brush outside of chicken with creme fraiche sauce, putting enough on to drip down onto bread slices.
Return chicken to oven; bake 10 more minutes to brown the glaze. Repeat, brushing more creme fraiche sauce generously on chicken. Bake 10 minutes at 450 degrees to crisp up the skin; remove chicken from oven; let stand 10 minutes. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, not touching bone, should read 165 degrees.
Pour remaining creme fraiche glaze into a small skillet over medium heat; bring to a boil; stir constantly, cooking until shallot is cooked and sauce reduces slightly, 1 - 2 minutes; turn off heat.
Transfer chicken to a cutting board; cut bread pieces in half crosswise. Cut chicken up into 8 serving pieces: 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 wings, and 2 breasts.
Serve with pieces of drippings-soaked toasted bread. Drizzle thickened creme fraiche sauce over chicken. Garnish with chopped chive blossoms.
6-8 servings.