Poule au Pot avec basilic a l’Ail
Chicken is the most important meat at Townsend and Hyrum, the farm’s poultry manager, ensures that the kitchen is always supplied with plenty of free range roasting chickens. The crispy skin with garlic and basil are divine.
Ingredients
1 6-9lb Free-ranged Roasting chicken
½ c butter softened to room temperature
2 Tbsp dried basil, crumbled
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 ½ c (approx) fresh basil leaves
40 large garlic cloves (unpeeled)
½ c dry white wine
1c chicken stock
1c fresh basil leaves chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 deg.
Remove excess fat from chicken. Pat dry. run hand under skin over breast meat to form pockets. Continue separating skin from meat around thighs and legs.
Mix butter and basil, salt & pepper. Rub ½ of the butter under skin around breast meat, thighs & legs. Tuck fresh basil under skin. Rub remaining butter over chicken, season with salt & pepper.
Place chicken breast side up in roasting pan. Roast chicken 15 min, reduce temperature to 350 deg. Turn chicken on side. Add garlic bto pan and roast 15 min. Turn chicken to other side and roast 15 min.. Turn chicken back to breast side up. Pour wine over. Roast chicken till juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced, basting occasionally, about 30 min. more. Transfer chicken to platter. Tent with foil to keep warm.
Pour pan juices with garlic cloves into processor. Add 1c chicken stock & puree (garlic skins will remain whole). Strain puree through strainer into heavy saucepan, pressing on garlic skins with back of spoon. Boil until reduced to sauce consistency., stirring occasionally, about 3 min. Season sauce to taste with salt & pepper. Mix in chopped basil.
Serve chicken with sauce separately