Tarragon & Mustard Roast Chicken

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 8 sprigs tarragon, leaves chopped and stalks reserved
• 2 onions, cut into large chunks
• 2 carrots, cut into large chunks
• 3 sticks celery, roughly chopped
• 1 head fennel, roughly chopped
• 7 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 bulb of garlic, roughly chopped (skin and all)
• 2 (3 lb) chicken
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, plus 1 extra tsp
• 1 1/2 cups red wine
• 2 cups chicken stock
• salt and pepper

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 400°f
• 2 put the tarragon stalks, vegetables, olive oil and garlic in a heavy roasting tin.
• 3 place on a high heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to brown.
• 4 while the vegetables are cooking, remove any string from the chickens, sprinkle the cavities with salt and pepper and stuff the lemon quarters inside.
• 5 lay the chickens, breast-side down, on top of the veg. season with salt and pepper, scatter over half the chopped tarragon leaves, then drizzle with a little olive oil.
• 6 roast for 20 minutes. meanwhile, mix 1 tbsp mustard with the remaining chopped tarragon leaves.
• 7 remove the roasting tin from the oven, turn the chickens over and spread with the mustard mixture.
• 8 return the chickens to the oven and roast for a further 40 minutes or until the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced with a skewer.
• 9 remove the chickens to a dish or 2 large plates and cover each one with an upturned bowl.
• 10 skim any excess fat from the roasting tin. place the tin on a high heat, pour in the wine, and boil for 8-10 minutes until the wine has almost completely reduced.
• 11 now pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then simmer for 5-7 minutes until reduced by half. stir in 1 tsp mustard, season to taste and strain into a gravy boat.