The addition of crème fraîche keeps the poultry tender and gives a velvety richness to this dish
Diana Henry The Telegraph's award-winning cookery writer
Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.
See more
Published
It was the American food writer Paula Wolfert who alerted me to the tenderising qualities of crème fraîche. She uses it for guinea fowl in her book, ‘The Cooking of South-West France’. This is rich but, because of the acidity in the cream, fresh at the same time. Plus it is a total doddle to make and looks great, too. Vermouth is best for this, but if you don’t have it use dry white wine instead.
Requires resting time
Overview
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
1 hr
30 mins
Serves
6
Ingredients
- 2kg chicken
- 300g crème fraîche
- 2 garlic cloves, grated to a purée
- 2 tbsp chopped soft herbs: a mixture of chives, parsley and tarragon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 100ml dry white vermouth
Method
Step
Preheat the oven to 200C/190C fan/gas mark 6.
Step
Remove the bits of excess skin that you find round the opening to the cavity of the 2kg chicken. Season the inside.
Step
In a bowl, mix together 300g crème fraîche, 2 grated garlic cloves, 2 tbsp mixed soft herbs (parsley, chives and tarragon), 1 tbsp lemon juice and some seasoning.
Step
Put about one third of this inside the bird, spreading it with your fingers, then rub the rest over the outside, pushing it into the spaces between the legs and the main body.
Step
Set the chicken on a rack in a roasting tin and put in the oven.
Step
Cook for 1 hour 15 minutes, pouring 100ml white vermouth and 150ml water into the tin after 15 minutes of cooking time. Keep an eye on the tin – if it looks as if it’s getting dry add more water. The juices and bits of cream drip into this and make a gorgeous ‘gravy’.
Step
Check the chicken is cooked by piercing it between the leg and the body; if the juices run clear, it is cooked. If not, leave it in for a little longer.
Step
Put the chicken on to a warm serving plate and make a foil tent around it, then set a few tea towels on top to keep it warm. Leave to rest for 15 minutes while you deal with the juices.
Step
Add about 250ml water to the roasting tin and set over a medium heat, scraping up any stuck bits of cream with a wooden spoon.
Step
Boil until you have a mixture that tastes good – that’s more important than thickness. Don’t reduce it so much that it’s over-salty.
Step
Strain through a sieve – if you don’t mind the cooked herbs, don’t bother to strain – into a heated jug.
Step
Serve the chicken with the juices. I love peas cooked with shallots and shredded baby-gem lettuce on the side, but I can’t really think of a vegetable dish that wouldn’t work with this.