I enjoyed reading that Julia Child herself once said that she believed the mark of a good cook is their roast chicken.   A perfectly roast chicken should be browned just so, while the meat is  tender, juicy and flavorful.  A simple roast chicken seems easy to accomplish, but there are so many methods out there that it can become a bit tricky if you’re not careful.  Some people rub butter on the skin, some drizzle the chicken with oil while others add nothing to the chicken except a simple dash of salt and pepper before putting it in a hot oven.

I like to think that my Citrus-Tarragon Roast Chicken would, if served to Julia Child herself,  pass the ultimate test.  I have tried many-‘a’-roast chicken recipes over the past few years, but this one hit the nail on the head.  Here are my secrets: I start by making a compound butter with lime, orange and lemon zest, along with chopped tarragon.  I then rub this butter under the skin of the chicken and season the chicken with salt and pepper.  I place the halved orange, along with a halved lime and halved lemon, and a sprig of fresh tarragon inside of the chicken’s cavity.  Baked at a temperature for 375 degrees for approximately one hour and fifteen minutes, this chicken is a flavorful, moist, and tender delicacy that I would be confident enough to serve Mrs. Child herself.  Bon Appetit!

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

Tagged: chicken, citrus, citrus zest, compound butter, entree, lemons, lime, orange, roast chicken, tarragon