Roasted Mustard Tarragon Chicken
A classic roasted chicken infused with fresh tarragon and Dijon mustard, served with a rich cream sauce. The whole chicken is roasted until golden and juicy, then complemented with a sophisticated pan sauce made from the drippings.
Ingredients
- •1 whole chicken
- •1 bunch tarragon
- •⅓ cup Dijon mustard
- •1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- •1¼ cups water
- •¼ cup heavy cream
- •1 piece kitchen string
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.
5 min
- 2.
Pull off excess fat around cavities of chicken and discard, then rinse chicken and pat dry. Mix together 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and rub inside cavity. Chop enough tarragon to measure 1 1/2 tablespoons and set aside, then add remainder of bunch to cavity. Put chicken in a flameproof shallow roasting pan or gratin dish and rub all over with 1/3 cup mustard. Tie legs together with string and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into fleshy part of a thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170°F, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
60 min
- 3.
Carefully tilt chicken so juices from cavity run into roasting pan, then transfer chicken to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes.
10 min
- 4.
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from pan. Whisk in flour, then cook over medium heat, whisking, 1 minute. Add water, whisking constantly and scraping up brown bits, and bring to a boil. Simmer sauce until slightly thickened, then whisk in cream, remaining tablespoon mustard, and salt and pepper to taste.
10 min
- 5.
Strain sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids, then stir in reserved chopped tarragon. Serve chicken with sauce.
5 min
