The year is still young my friends. We still have plenty of time to really buckle down and focus on our new year resolutions. So for now, since the days are still long and because the air is still cold, I say let’s not forget the joy of the holiday season entirely. Sneak a little decadence back into your life and onto you table for one last celebration.
This roast chicken is by far one of the more shocking, but surprisingly rewarding, combinations I have ventured to try. Our Fig Preserves, one of our newest items, flew off the shelves this holiday season. I too had a jar that sat on my shelf at home and begged me to get creative with it throughout the whole holiday. It wasn’t until new years’ rolled around when I popped open a bottle of Champagne did it dawn on me. What screams of decadence in the holidays? Figs! Champagne! Oh the gourmet! So, with my desire for one more toast to 2012, this champagne inspired chicken did just the trick of keeping the holiday indulgence alive…just a little bit anyway. The nice part about this roast is that the flavors do not overwhelm: they simply flavor the chicken with a tangy aroma while the sugars in the glaze cause the skin to be oh so crispy and succulent. If you are like me and looking for one more hurrah for the year past, give this roast a try!
Fig, Mustard, and Champagne Vinaigrette Roast Chicken
Ingredients:
- 1 Whole Organic Chicken
- 1/4 cup McCutcheon Fig Preserves
- 1/4 cup Whole Grain Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 cup Champagne vinaigrette (I chose a classic light Champagne, however pear or apple Champagne vinaigrettes are lovely to use too)
- 2 tablespoons of butter, melted
- salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the fig preserves, 1/4 cup of the mustard and 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette.
- Rinse and thoroughly pat dry the chicken (moisture on the chicken will prevent the glaze from sticking to it).
- Place the chicken in a baking dish and brush the whole bird with the melted butter. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
- Pop the chicken into the oven for 30 minutes, or until the butter is just starting to turn golden brown.
- Remove the bird from the oven and spread the glaze mixture generously all over the chicken.
- Continue roasting for another 1.5 hours or until internal temperature registers 165 degrees. (Allow for roughly 20 minutes/lb.) As the chicken is roasting, remove every 20 minutes or so to baste with drippings from the pan. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before carving.
Combine the mustard, fig preserve and vinaigrette.
Brush the bird with some good ol’ butter and season with salt and pepper. Then pop that baby in the oven and let the butter get a little crispy before adding the glaze.
Get your bird out of the oven and brush on some glaze. Once it looks adequately juiced up pop it back in the oven.
Once it reaches the right cooked temperature, pull out this fragrant masterpiece and let it rest before carving.
