Crispy Roast Chicken With Tarragon and Lemon Verbena

Guys are bad with remembering dates, birthdays or anniversaries. Our agenda books are our lifeline.

I'm pretty good with remembering events in my life through a song on the radio, a smell, a meal or just a vibe. I get sentimental about vacations, friends & good times of yore, concerts and the dearly departed grandparents.

I just realized that I've been cigarette-free for two years! Oh, I smoke the odd cigar or cigarillo but I don't inhale (Clinton coached me well).

I don't think I can go back to cigarettes. I'm tasting things again as they should be, without the ashtray breath.

I can taste this fantastic new Greek dish. This is another recipe from the Greek food mag "Gastronomos" and the dish is the creation of Myrsini Lambraki.

It's a roast chicken of tarragon and lemon verbena, both herbs are found in Greece but only now are they a part of the awakening of Nouveau Greek Cuisine.

This dish is rustic, not the Kolonaki-snot-nosed chef style of Greek cooking that tries to be French. Once again, Greek cuisine should about using the ingredients that are at hand in the land and utilizing traditional Greek cooking techniques in new dishes.

I think this roast chicken fits that bill. For those not familiar with lemon verbena, it's a shrub tree that has aromatic leaves that give off a sweet, lemon aroma. Up until this time, I've only enjoyed lemon verbena as a tea or a Mojito.

When this chicken was roasting, the aromas were dreamy. I was like a giddy child impatiently waiting to open his Christmas presents. As always, if you can't find fresh herbs, use half the amount with the dried kind.

Crispy Roast Chicken With Tarragon and Lemon Verbena

1 whole roaster chicken
1/2 small lemon
2 1/2 Tbsp. fresh tarragon
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon verbena, chopped
1 clove of garlic, smashed
1 clove of garlic, minced
approx. 1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/3 cup dry white wine
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. corn starch
1 tsp. water

Preheated 400F oven, approx cook time 90 minutes

1. Rinse and pat-dry your chicken. In a bowl, add your olive oil, minced garlic, tarragon and lemon verbena and reserve.
2. Insert a smashed clove of garlic, along with the 1/2 lemon, some of the herbs and truss (tie your chicken).
3. Rub the herb/oil mixture all over the bird and then season with sea salt and ground black pepper.
4. Place in a roasting pan with a grate, so that the chicken is suspended over the drippings. Pour about 1/2 cup of water in the pan to prevent burning.
5. Roast uncovered for 30 minutes or until the chicken has achieved a golden-brown, crispy colour.
6. Reduce the oven heat to 375F roast for another half hour and replenish water if need be in the pan.
   
7. For the last half hour, take the chicken out of the oven and using a large fork or tongs, carefully pick up the chicken and tilt to empty the juices that have amassed in the cavity (important as this will make your sauce). Place the chicken back in the oven and roast until the juices run clear.
8. Remove the chicken from the roasting pan and allow to rest before carving .
9. Remove the grate and place the roasting pan on the stove top and pour in your wine and deglaze the drippings from the chicken. Adjust seasoning and add your corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce.
10. Carve your chicken and pour over the pan sauce on the chicken.
    

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