Roast Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce

By khojnicki

Ingredients

• 1 chicken, 4-4.5 lb
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon, plus 1 sprig
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
• 1 3/4 c reduced sodium chicken broth
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/3 c heavy cream

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Use your fingers to gently separate the skin from the meat on the breast, thighs, and drumsticks. In a small bowl, stir together 1 tbsp of the mustard, 1 tsp of the oil, 1 tbsp of chopped tarragon and several generous grinds of black pepper. Carefully push this mixture under the skin, distributing it evenly over the meat. Season the cavity with salt and pepper and add the tarragon sprig and garlic. Rub the remaining 1 tsp oil evenly over the bird and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken breast side up on an oiled roasting rack in a roasting pan. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh away from the bone reaches 170-175 degrees F, about 1 hour. Transfer chicken to a carving board, lightly tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove the rack from the roasting pan and place the pan over low heat. Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the pan bottom. Pour the liquid from the pan through a fine meshed sieve into a glass measuring cup. Using a large spoon, skim the fat from the top of the liquid and discard. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring until mixture turns golden, 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the broth mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk in remaining 1 tbsp mustard, the remaining 2 tbsps tarragon, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in cream and heat through.

Carve the chicken into serving pieces and divide among warmed plates. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately.