Roast Chicken with Pears, Shallots, and Walnuts

By Chez_Alexander

Ingredients

• 1 (4 lb) whole roasting chicken
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp salt, divided
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 6 shallots, peeled and quartered
• 3 firm pears, peeled, cored, and each cut into 8 wedges
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup walnut halves
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 TBS Champagne vinegar
• 2 TBS honey
• 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tsp toasted walnut oil

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from myrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 425F.

2. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Place 2 crushed garlic cloves, rosemary sprigs, and lemon in body cavity. Combine chopped rosemary, 3/4 tsp salt, and olive oil. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Rub oil mixture under skin. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken. Tie legs together with twine. Place chicken, breast side up, in a roasting pan.

3. Bake at 425F for 25 minutes. Arrange shallots and pears around chicken. Add broth to pan; baste chicken. Bake for 30 minutes. Stir pears and shallots; baste chicken. Add walnuts to pan. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in meaty part of thigh registers 165F. Let stand 20 minutes.

4. Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour drippings from pan into bag; add 1/2 cup water. Let stand 2 minutes (fat will rise to top). Seal bag; carefully cup off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into measuring cup, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard remaining fat. Return drippings to pan, and cook over medium heat, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add remaining 1/4 tsp salt, vinegar, honey, juice, and 1 minced garlic clove; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 4 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in walnut oil.

5. Carve chicken. Arrange chicken and pears on a platter. Serve with sauce.

Makes 6 servings.