Whole Roasted Chicken with Bacon
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
- Nutritional Analysis Per Serving (1 of 6 servings): Calories 607, Total Fat 48 g, Saturated Fat 15 g, Carbohydrates 4 g, Dietary Fiber 1 g, Sugar 1 g, Protein 39 g, Cholesterol 163 mg, Sodium 752 mg
- Total: 1 hr 40 min
- Active: 30 min
"Chicken paired with bacon shines in a Cobb salad, and the combination performs equally well here," notes Alex. Imagine the irresistible aroma of crispy bacon wrapping tender, juicy chickenyour table's new star dish!
1 whole chicken (3 to 3 1/2 pounds)Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 to 2 lemons, cut into wedges
12 slices bacon (about 3/4 pound)
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
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- Preheat and prepare: Fire up your oven to 500 degrees F. Season the chicken's exterior generously with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with thyme sprigs and lemon wedges for bursts of flavor. Face the cavity toward you, then weave bacon slices artfully: Start one slice over the left thigh, across the breast, ending at the right thigh. Overlap 9 more strips to blanket the thighs and breast completely. Wrap one strip around each drumstick with a slight overlapbacon armor for the win!
- Roast to perfection: Place the chicken on a roasting rack in a rimmed baking sheet, centered in the oven. Roast 20 minutes, then drop the temp to 350 degrees F. Cook until juices run clear or internal temp reaches 160 degrees F, about 40 to 50 minutes. Rest 15 minutes before carvingthe bacon forms a delicious, firm crust. Slice carefully to keep that crispy topping intact on the breast.
- Finish with flair: Scoop cavity juices (thyme and lemons included) into the baking pan over medium heat. Simmer, stir in mustard and 2 tablespoons water, and reduce 2 to 3 minutes for a silky sauce. Strain, pressing lemons for extra zing, season to taste, and discard solids. Drizzle over carved chicken and serve hotpure comfort elevated!
Photograph by Chris Court
Recipes reprinted from The Home Cook. Copyright (c) 2017 by Alex Guarnaschelli. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, An Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
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