How to Make a Simple Roast Chicken, According to a French Mom

Featuring butter, tarragon and Cognac, this reader-submitted recipe is simple, sophisticated and utterly stunning, Melissa Clark writes.

The sophisticated, French flavors of brandy, butter and tarragon season this golden-skinned roast chicken, adding panache to what is otherwise an easy and straightforward recipe, adapted from Christiane Baumgartner via her daughter, Florence Chapgier, a reader. Serve it with mashed potatoes or polenta, a soft bed to absorb all the heady, buttery juices. And if you’re not a tarragon fan, fresh thyme makes an excellent, milder substitute. —Melissa Clark

INGREDIENTS
Yield: 4 servings
1(4-pound) whole chicken
2teaspoons coarse gray sea salt or 2½ teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
6tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1bunch fresh tarragon, leaves and tender stems coarsely chopped (about ¾ cup)
2tablespoons Cognac
1teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION
Step 1
Pat the chicken dry and salt the bird inside and out. Transfer to a plate or baking dish, preferably on a rack, and refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Step 2
When ready to cook the chicken, heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Step 3
In a small bowl, combine butter, tarragon, 1 tablespoon Cognac and the pepper. Rub mixture inside the chicken cavity and over and under the chicken skin.

Step 4
Place chicken on a rimmed sheet pan or in a large, ovenproof skillet. Roast, breast side up, until the skin is golden and crisp, and the juices run clear when you insert a fork in the thickest part of the thigh (165 degrees), about 1 hour.

Step 5
Turn off the oven — don’t skip this step, or the Cognac may overheat and catch fire — and transfer the pan with the chicken to the stovetop. Pour the remaining 1 tablespoon Cognac over the bird and baste with some of the buttery pan juices. Immediately return the chicken to the turned-off oven and let rest there for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024103-roast-tarragon-cognac-chicken