Golden, crispy skin with juicy, tender meat every time. Simple, classic, and cooked just right, this is a proper roast chicken done the way it should be. Perfect for Sunday lunch, sharing with family.
Serves: 4
You will need:
Small mixing bowl
Large roasting tin
Ingredients:
1 × chicken (approximately 1.5kg)
300ml crème fraîche
1 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Juice of ½ lemon
150ml white wine
Salt and pepper
Method:
In a bowl, mix together the crème fraîche, herbs, garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.
Spoon the mixture into the cavity of the chicken.
Rub the chicken with olive oil, season well, and cook for approximately 100 minutes, gently basting with oil while keeping the sauce inside the chicken.
Once cooked, transfer the chicken to a board to rest and spoon the sauce into the roasting tin.
Add the wine, bring to the boil, and whisk until the sauce comes together.
50 Comments
Yummy will try this
That looks EPIC 🤩 I could eat all of that myself. I bet Rory was salivating
Lovely recipe. Did you throw the remaining chicken carcass away?. I make fantastic stock and soup.
How about a crab dish soon?
Yum!
No drama and no weird sounding yoghurt involved
Tarragon Chicken is one of my favourites. I love this method, not only easier than most methods, it's a great way to get more of the tarragon flavour into the chicken. What would you serve with it? And when you freeze the tarragon, does it keep the same flavour?
Sounds yummy!!
A basic roast chicken (for me is butter and seasoning) is a thing of beauty, the gift that keeps on giving throughout my lifetime. This version is just sensational and so easy to elevate into another level.
Loving the content guys. In a world of chaos, your brilliance is a constant pleasure.
That made me cry ❤️💕❤️ 0:42
Oh! I love roast chicken! Love tarragon sauce! Love roast potatoes! This is a must try!… John, you’re a lucky man! 🤗🥂
Love the idea of putting the lemon to stop the sauce from coming out must try it
I love you two and your recipes thank you
I've made Lisa's tarragon chicken from her book, Recipes from my mother for my daughter. That's made with just the breast, if memory serves me well. I prefer thighs as I think they have more flavour. So have made it also with thighs. Always make a recipe when following one as described the first time, and then I tweek it when next I make it. This recipe though goes one step further as the chicken is stuffed with the creme fraiche mixture, and when roasted whole with the potatoes means you get to deglaze the cooking pan like you do when making a gravy for a roast dinner. This recipe is a cross between Greek lemon chicken meets French kitchen. I'll certainly give it at try next time I roast a whole chicken.
Thank you for sharing such a great recipe , I'd like to no how to make flavered vinegars . I'd aprechat if you can share the Apple cake recipe that I sent you . As I've notisted some Apple cake recipes are more like a batter . Take care and all the best .👍👍👍😄😄😊❤❤
I love cooking along with you, your videos and delicious recipes …and I'm learning really helpful details and tips too, to put yummy food on our home table for family and friends…I'm no chef ( more an adventurous home cook that tends to go off-piste where recipe books are concerned ) but your video formats are helping me to consistently knock out some really tasty food ( judging by the empty plates :)…big thanks guys
Hi Lisa and John. Another fantastic idea.. Keep up the great work. xx
I am starving now, going shopping to get the ingredients 👍❤️
I'm quite keen on a cream of mustard and horseradish sauce for chicken (I used that kind of mustard with the seeds in it because it's visually more attractive). There's nothing like a roast chicken. I love those that you can buy from Waitrose. They are whole and completely deboned, so what you cook on the tray is just the whole chicken with no waste. They do them in 2 different marinades (honey and mustard or parmesan and sunblush tom). I love them, but they are expensive. Anyway I loved this recipe. Would never have thought of stuffing a chicken with creme fr cream, tarragon and lemon and then making gravy out of it
Is there an alternative to crème fraiche ? I can’t get it here in Canada !
Oh my goodness John and Lisa….. another recipe I absolutely have to try. Thank you once again. X
Love you too 😊 you always put a smile on my face 😊
Lovely couple
Love the presentation
Oooh Yum. It looks amazing
I am heading out on my break to get the ingredients………. cannot wait to make this this evening. The lemon plug looks like the ring pessaries i regularly use on my prolapse patients…!!!!!!!!!!! hee hee hee.
love this channel. you guys are a natural………. Rory is the king though………..
So you’re saying you haven’t par boiled the potatoes. I always par boil mine. The only thing I don’t par boil are parsnips. Looks yummy by the way 👍
This is going to be our Sunday dinner this weekend! ❤
You clearly don't shop at Tescos or your lemons would be the size of golf balls. Good dish Lisa, keep practicing the carving John.
God it’s only roast chicken it ain’t rocket science duh 😂
John and Lisa,
What is Bernaise sauce and what does it go with..?
This is so special. I adore tarragon and am so excited to give this a try. Thank you both for your generosity in sharing these beautiful recipes. ❤
John you did your mate Greg dirty to save your skin – scum
So pleased to see you both ,food great ,I remember the first food I cooked for my hubby it wasn't great But we are still together 63years later lol😂
I love this channel! I've tried this and had a few challenges but it's turned out delicious. I only have Pyrex roasting pans and a gas oven without a fan and got a 1.75kg chicken. After about an hour and a half, my temp probe showed the inside of the breasts at 80C but the probing into the cavity and below, it only showed 59C. And the potatoes (King Edwards) were uncooked. So, after some deliberation, I took out the potatoes and put them into the air fryer and then poured out the creme fresh into a saucepan and returned the chicken to a hotter setting upside down. I gave the creme fresh pan a good boil for a couple of minutes. After about another 30 minutes, I flipped the chicken back over to crisp the skin and, 15 minutes later it was done. I rested the chicken on a plate and covered with foil while I prepared the sauce… poured the pyrex contents into the pan and added the wine to the pyrex to help scrape off everything. I started reducing the sauce – definitely needed to add a but more seasoning which I did – and was tempted to thicken with a little flour but I listened to what you'd said… it was definitely worth waiting a little longer for the reduction and it thickened up perfectly. Totally delicious and, whilst one would think the breast would be over cooked and dry, it wasn't! We loved it, thanks so much!
Thank you John & Lisa…that looks so delish! I've only recently discovered the delights of crème fraiche, so now I need to get some fresh Tarragon (which I've never tasted) to make that wonderful sauce. With that memory lapse over the first thing Lisa cooked for you John, it's lucky that lemon ended up in the chicken. I hope you're forgiven by now…after all it is Valentine's Day. Bless you both ❤
Bring back Torode and Wallace Masterchef!
I am going to try it, looks so simple and tasty. Thanks John and Lisa XX
The potato to chicken ratio is off. Not nearly enough spuds!
Watched this earlier this week. I can cook. Tried it tonight. Easiest thing I have ever cooked. And the best thing ever. Yum!!!
Definitely another recipe i want to try sounds wonderful and a lovely summer dish to have in the garden well done both of you lovely memories and great story! Hope lisa forgave the memory lapse john 😂😂 all the best daniel
I will definitely try this! One of my most favourite cooking vessels though is my clay chicken brick! That guarantees a moist bird and loads of gravy juices! 🤣❤🤣
I feel like I'm cooking my chicken for way too long, a large I would do for about 2 hours on 180 covered for the last 1/2 hour.
I have a miniature schnauzer too. How on earth do you keep the beard so white ???? 😮
Can I ask please. You say 75 mins to cook in the video but 100 mins in the written recipe. Which is correct? Thank you. Looks delicious
I've just cooked this absolutely amazing daughter an easy dish
So cringe the pair of them
For a change, I'm thinking of doing chicken for this Easter Sunday lunch instead of turkey this year for the family meal. I will be doing this thank you both, looks delicious ! x
Cringe they are awkward
Awesome recipe, one of my favourite combos… Chicken and Tarragon