Roasted Chicken and Potatoes with Garlic, Lemon, Tarragon

Enjoy this delicious and flavourful roast chicken and crispy potatoes for a first meal, then remove the remaining chicken to use for sandwiches and/or as a lovely addition to a salad plate dinner then next night. As this chicken roasts, it infuses the meat with the lovely flavours of tarragon, lemon and garlic. It’s delicious, assuming you like tarragon, of course :) If you don’t feel free to substitute thyme, rosemary or sage, or a combination of the three.

1 (3-4 lb) whole chicken, innards removed (1.3-1.8 kg)
½ head garlic, halved horizontally
2 sprigs fresh tarragon
1 Tbsp. fresh tarragon, chopped
3 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 shallot, finely chopped
coarse sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
½ lemon
small white and/or red potatoes, halved

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C/200°C fan, Gas Mark 7).

Rinse the chicken under cold water, then thoroughly pat dry inside out out with paper towels. Rub chicken inside and out with the garlic half, then place inside the chicken cavity. Place the tarragon sprigs inside the chicken cavity as well.

In a small bowl, stir together butter, shallot and chopped tarragon. Season chicken with salt and freshly ground pepper, then loosen skin of chicken near cavity with hands and spread the tarragon butter mixture under the skin, between the skin and the chicken meat.

Squeeze juice from the half lemon over the chicken, then place the squeezed lemon in the chicken cavity.

Place chicken into a greased skillet or baking pan. Arrange halved small potatoes around the outside of the chicken and season then with salt and pepper (if you place them skin down as much as possible, they will get lovely crispy and golden!).

Place in preheated oven and roast until the skin is deep golden and crispy and the meat temperature in the breast area reaches 160-165°F, about 1-1½ hours (depending on the size of your chicken).

Makes 4 servings.