🧄 Roast Chicken with Garlic, Bacon & Tarragon
A comforting, aromatic roast featuring whole chicken infused with garlic, basted in butter, broth, and white wine, and finished with crispy bacon and fresh tarragon. Served with a rich pan gravy and roasted garlic cloves.
Ingredients
- •1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), rinsed and patted dry
- •8–10 garlic cloves, peeled
- •4 tablespoons butter
- •½ teaspoon salt
- •½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- •6 bacon strips
- •1½ cups chicken broth
- •½ cup dry white wine
- •1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves
Instructions
- 1
Prep the chicken: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Season the cavity of the chicken with a pinch of salt and pepper, then insert the garlic cloves.
- 2
Butter & bacon: Rub the outside of the chicken with butter and remaining seasoning. Lay bacon strips over the breast and place the chicken in a large roasting pan.
- 3
Add liquid: Pour chicken broth and white wine over the chicken.
- 4
Roast: Roast for 2 to 2½ hours, basting with pan juices every 15 minutes, until the meat near the thigh bone is no longer pink.
- 5
Finish: Remove bacon to allow the breast to brown. Sprinkle with fresh tarragon and roast for an additional 15 minutes.
Gravy Preparation
- 6
Transfer chicken to a serving dish.
- 7
Make the gravy: Pour off excess fat from the roasting pan. Stir remaining juices, scraping up any browned bits.
- 8
Reduce: Place pan directly on the burner and boil for 2–3 minutes over high heat until slightly thickened.
- 9
Serve: Carve the chicken and serve hot with the pan gravy and roasted garlic cloves.
Yield: Serves 4–6