This week, we're sharing a recipe for the Perfect Roast Chicken, or as Ina Garten referred to it, "Engagement Chicken." The story goes that the result is so good, everyone who makes it gets engaged shortly after. Even better, we've added the most decadent wine pairing to this recipe in hopes that this brings just as much love to you and yours.
We'll be back next week with another pairing and recipe.
Now, here are the details that make this pairing fit.There are factors in Burgundy which make selecting the right wine a daunting task. Vintage matters a great deal, and there is noticeable variation between seasons. Winemakers are of even greater importance in Burgundy. A saying worth remembering is that "a great winemaker will make beautiful wine regardless of vintage, and in exceptional vintages will make life-changing wines." And that's the story really, with this wine. The 2013 vintage has been passed over for the 2014 and 2015 vintages by wine critics and collectors alike.
And that's why we are here to tell you: Buy this beautiful Bourgogne Blanc from Bruno Colin (that's basically a declassified Chassagne-Montrachet) and savor every last drop of it with the Perfect Roast Chicken.
Why?
Great producer. Great vineyards. Great pedigree. All the bells and whistles of the opulence of the Côte de Beaune without the need to cellar or decant for hours. The overlooked year combined with this wine means savings in your pocket, and wine that's ready to drink sooner than later. The aromatic and textural purity of this wine mixed with a touch of perfume from oak will make this pairing sing to your soul.
By Ina Garten, from the Barefoot Contessa cookbook. Photo by Alison Marras on Unsplash.
INGREDIENTS
1 5- to 6-pound roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 Spanish onion, thickly sliced
1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of the lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Scatter the onion slices around the chicken.
Roast the chicken for 1-1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove to a platter and cover with aluminum foil while you prepare the gravy.
Remove all the fat from the bottom of the pan, reserving 2 tablespoons in a small cup. Add the chicken stock to the pan and cook on high heat for about 5 minutes, until reduced, scraping the bottom of the pan. Combine the 2 tablespoons of chicken fat with the flour and add to the pan. Boil for a few minutes to cook the flour. Strain the gravy into a small saucepan and season it to taste. Keep it warm over a very low flame while you carve the chicken.
Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve immediately with the warm gravy.
