Spring Roasted Chicken with Herb Pistou

At the same time that our yard has finally filled with the sweet scent of lilac, the perennial herbs in my edible garden have burst into full swing. The tender new tarragon, chervil, parsley, and thyme have been providing me plenty of inspiration in the kitchen. This lovely chicken dish incorporates herbes de Provence to give it a distinctive floral and herbaceous note. The potatoes and radishes are roasted tender in the same pan, and all is served with a bright herb pistou drizzled over the top.

Ingredients:

8 to 10 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, (or a mix of thighs and drumsticks)

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

½ cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved

2 tablespoons herbes de Provence (see notes)

1 lemon, quartered

8 to 10 garlic cloves, peeled

4 to 6 medium shallots, peeled and halved

½ cup dry vermouth

1 bunch radishes, trimmed and halved

4 sprigs fresh thyme

For the herb pistou:

2 cups packed mixed fresh herbs (see notes)

1 clove of garlic

Juice and zest of one lemon

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season generously with salt and black pepper on all sides. Place the flour in a shallow dish, and lightly dredge the chicken, shaking off the excess.

Pour the olive oil in a large roasting pan, swirling to coat the bottom. Add the potatoes and toss them lightly in the oil. Next, arrange the chicken pieces around the pan, between the potatoes, skin side up. Season the tops of the chicken pieces with the herbes de Provence, using any extra on the potatoes. Add the garlic and shallots to the pan, over the potatoes, leaving the chicken fully exposed. When the oven is good and hot, carefully pour the vermouth into the pan at the side, careful not to splash on the dredged chicken.

Place the pan into the oven, and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, then baste the chicken with the pan juices. Add the radish halves on top of the other vegetables and arrange the thyme springs around the pan. Return pan to oven and roast for another 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is very crisp and the meat is tender.

While the chicken is roasting make the pistou. Place all the herbs and the garlic clove in a food processor. Pulse until the herbs are chopped, then add the lemon zest and juice with a pinch of salt and pepper. With the processor running, pour olive oil in a steady stream, until the pistou has a loose pourable consistency, like a pesto. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt or pepper as needed. Serve the chicken and roasted vegetables on a warm platter with plenty of the pan drippings. Pass the pistou around the table to drizzle over each serving.

Luke Chavez

Spring Roasted Chicken with Herb Pistou

Notes:

Herbes de Provence is a gloriously complex dried herb blend famous in the south of France. Blended with many common dried herbs like thyme and marjoram, the distinct flavor is elevated by the addition of dried lavender flowers. You can often find versions of herbes de Provence in grocery stores or from reputable sources online. However, you can also make your own. Blend dried thyme, marjoram or oregano, basil, crushed bay leaves, tarragon, and lavender if you can find it. A mortar and pestle comes in handy to blend the herbs together. For this recipe, if you can not find herbes de Provence or any lavender, you could use a simple blend of equal parts dried thyme and dried tarragon.

Pistou is a common condiment in southern France, similar to Italian pesto, but without cheese or nuts. Use a blend of fresh herbs to your taste, such as parsley, tarragon, chervil, basil, and thyme. Because it is a key component to the flavor, use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can find for the pistou.

Enjoy.