Million Dollar Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 (4.5 pound) whole chicken
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed
• 3 thick slices day-old sourdough French bread
• 1 cup creme fraiche
• 1 tablespoon peeled and grated shallot
• 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 3 chive blossoms for garnish, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Generously season the chicken cavity with salt and black pepper. Squeeze lemon halves into the cavity, then place the squeezed halves inside. Stuff the cavity with thyme, garlic, and bay leaf. Set aside.
3. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil into a heavy roasting pan. Place bread slices in the pan and lightly press into the oil to coat the bottoms. Drizzle 1 more tablespoon of oil over the bread, then place the chicken on top. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and brush the chicken with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Season the entire outside of the chicken with salt.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
5. Meanwhile, mix together crème fraîche, shallot, and Aleppo pepper in a small bowl. Stir lemon juice and lemon zest into the crème fraîche mixture. Refrigerate the sauce until needed.
6. Use tongs to lift the chicken off the bread slices and flip the bread slices over (they will be very brown). Place the chicken back onto the bread slices. Generously brush the outside of the chicken with crème fraîche sauce, allowing enough to drip onto the bread slices.
7. Bake until the sauce is browned, about 10 minutes. Repeat, brushing more crème fraîche sauce generously onto the chicken. Bake for 10 more minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh near the bone should read at least 165 degrees F (75 degrees C).
8. While the chicken rests, pour the remaining crème fraîche sauce into a small skillet over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook and stir until the shallot is cooked and the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 or 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.
9. Transfer the chicken and bread pieces to a cutting board. Cut the bread pieces in half crosswise and arrange them on a serving platter. Cut the chicken into 8 serving pieces (drumsticks, thighs, wings, and breasts) and place over the bread on the platter. Drizzle the thickened crème fraîche sauce over the chicken and garnish with chopped chive blossoms.

Nutrition

• Calories: 687 kcal
• Fat Content: 48 g
• Fiber Content: 2 g
• Sugar Content: 2 g
• Sodium Content: 269 mg
• Protein Content: 50 g
• Cholesterol Content: 200 mg
• Carbohydrate Content: 16 g
• Saturated Fat Content: 18 g
• Unsaturated Fat Content: 0 g