100k Chicken
Ingredients
1 (4.5-pound) whole chicken
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
1 lemon, halved
3 cloves garlic, peeled, optional
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
3 thick slices sourdough French bread, day-old
1 cup creme fraiche
1 tablespoon shallot, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 chive blossoms, chopped, optional, for garnish
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Season the inside of the chicken cavity and the back with salt and pepper.
Squeeze the lemon halves into the chicken cavities and leave the lemon peels in the cavity.
Stuff the cavity with the cloves of garlic, thyme bunch, and bay leaf. Make sure to put the bay leaf in a place where you can easily find and remove it later.
In a heavy roasting pan, drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place the sourdough slices into the roasting pan, pressing the slices down lightly in the oil to coat the bottom of the bread. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top of the bread.
Place the chicken on top of the bread slices and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Brush the outside with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt.
Roast the chicken for 1 hour. While the chicken roasts, mix the creme fraiche, shallot, and Aleppo pepper together in a small bowl.
Stir the lemon juice and lemon zest into the sauce. Refrigerate the sauce until needed.
Remove the roasting pan from the oven, lift the chicken off the bread, flip the bread slices, and place the chicken back on top of the bread.
Brush the outside of the chicken with the creme fraiche sauce, enough so that it drips down onto the bread.
Return the chicken to the oven and roast until the glaze browns, about 10 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the oven and again brush with the creme fraiche sauce.
Return the chicken to the oven and roast for an additional 10 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the oven. The temperature of the chicken should read 165 degrees F at its thickest part.
Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. While the chicken rests, pour the remaining creme fraiche sauce into a small skillet and place it on the stove-top over medium heat.
Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring constantly, until the shallot cooks through and the sauce reduces slightly, for about 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Slice the bread slices in half and carve the chicken into serving-sized pieces.
Drizzle the thickened sauce over the chicken, top with chive blossoms, and serve.
