Lemon Tarragon Brined Whole Chicken Recipes

Steps:

• Combine 1 cup water, rind, and tarragon sprigs in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; remove from heat. Place in a large bowl; cool to room temperature.
• Add remaining 6 cups water, salt, and sugar, stirring until salt and sugar dissolve. Place salt mixture in a 2-gallon zip-top plastic bag. Add the ice and chicken; seal.
• Refrigerate 3 hours, turning bag occasionally. Remove chicken from bag; discard brine. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
• Prepare grill for indirect grilling, heating one side to medium and leaving one side with no heat.
• Sprinkle cavity of chicken with 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped tarragon and 1 teaspoon pepper. Lightly coat outside of chicken with cooking spray.
• Rub the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped tarragon and 1 teaspoon pepper evenly over outside of chicken. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray over unheated side.
• Close lid; grill 15 minutes. Brush chicken with 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Close lid; grill an additional 30 minutes.
• Brush with remaining lemon juice. Close lid; grill 15 minutes or until thermometer inserted into meaty part of thigh registers 180°.
• Place chicken on a platter; cover with foil. Let stand for 15 minutes. Discard the skin.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat a medium-large skillet over high heat. Add the olive oil. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper, and lay the pieces in the pan rounded-side down first (the side that had the skin). Cook the chicken, turning only once, until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to an oven-proof dish, reserving the skillet. Place the chicken to the oven and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 170 to 75 degrees F, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pour the vermouth into the reserved skillet, scraping up any browned bits that cling to the pan with a wooden spoon, and cook over medium heat until the liquid reduces by about half. Add the chicken broth and continue to cook until slightly thickened.
• In a small bowl whisk a teaspoon or so of cold water with the cornstarch, then whisk the mixture into the broth and bring to a full boil. Remove from heat and add the zest, lemon juice, and tarragon. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Remove the chicken from the oven. Pour any pan drippings from the chicken into the sauce and stir to combine. Divide the chicken pieces between 4 plates. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Remove fat from the crop and cavity of the chicken. Remove the neck, gizzards and liver and freeze for another use.
• Squeeze half the lemon all over the skin of the chicken. Season the skin with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the remaining half lemon, garlic and 1 bunch whole tarragon.
• Put the chicken in a roasting pan, breast side up, and roast 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the juices run clear. During the first few minutes, either shake the chicken or move it frequently with a wooden spoon to keep it from sticking.
• When chicken is done, tilt it over the roasting pan to let the cavity juices run into the pan. Remove the chicken to a platter. Pour off the fat from the roasting pan.
• Put the pan on top of the stove. Add the wine and bring the contents of the pan to a boil, while scraping the bottom vigorously with a wooden spoon. Stir in tarragon leaves. Let simmer 5 minutes once the pan is thoroughly deglazed. Serve the pan juices over the chicken or pass it separately in a sauce boat.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub chicken inside and out with one garlic half. Place both garlic halves and the tarragon sprigs in cavity. Stir together butter, shallot, chopped tarragon. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Loosen skin of chicken near cavity with hands; spread butter mixture under skin all over flesh.
• Squeeze juice from lemon halves over chicken; place in cavity. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Halve the large onions horizontally at an angle. Arrange in the middle of a 9-by-13-inch roasting pan to form a square. Position halves so that the slanted ends of each pair face each other, inward, and almost touch. Place chicken, breast side up, on onion "rack."
• Quarter the small onions; arrange with carrots, celery, and potatoes around bird. Tuck lemon slices between wings and breast, and legs and breast. Pour wine and stock over vegetables.
• Roast chicken and vegetables, basting 2 or 3 times with pan juices, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken thigh registers 165 degrees and juices run clear, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove pan from oven, and let chicken stand 10 minutes. Carve chicken. Arrange chicken and roasted vegetables (including rack onions) on a platter. Spoon pan juices over meat.