This roast chicken recipe is inspired by Chef Stephanie Le Quellec when she helmed the kitchen at the Four Seasons Provence. Fast forward 10 years later, she now has a 2-star Michelin restaurant in France. Like Chef Le Quellec, this roast chicken recipe is timeless. It’s clear no one knows how to roast a chicken better than the French. We paired ours with sides from Chef Le Quellec’s to create a beautiful main course.

Serves 8
Prep/Inactive time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients

1 6 lb roasting chicken, giblets removed
kosher salt
freshly ground black better
a bunch thyme or rosemary
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, halved
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large Spanish onion, cut into large chunks
1 bulb fennel, top removed, cut into wedges
3 courgette (zucchini), cut into large chunks
olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

This roast chicken recipe is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold water. Pat the entire chicken dry and liberally season the cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with your herb of choice (thyme or rosemary), lemon and garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with melted butter and season liberally. Tuck the wings under the body of the chicken to prevent burning and tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

In the roasting pan, toss the onion, fennel and courgette with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread evenly in the bottom of the pan and place the chicken on top. Roast for 1 ½ hours or until thermometer reads 165 degrees when placed between the leg and thigh. Once done, allow chicken to rest for 20 minutes and serve with roasted vegetables and lemon risotto.

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