Ina, Ina, Ina…I can’t help myself…I love your recipes…and you never disappoint. Of course I’m speaking of Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. And this is her recipe for Lemon Chicken With Croutons from her book Barefoot In Paris.
I’ve made it several times, and most recently a few days ago when my younger son was in town on business from San Francisco, and we were lucky enough to have him at our dinner table.
In the intro to the recipe Ina says…a friend made it for us in Provence and to me it’s the essence of French country cooking. A simple roast chicken is sliced on top a bed of warm croutons so they soak up all those delicious juices. How good is that?
And if you’re wondering it’s better than good…it’s fantastic!
Although Ina suggests using any good French bread for the croutons I have found a sour dough boule works as well. It holds up to all those flavorful juices.
The recipe calls for a 4 to 5 pound roasting chicken, but I used a 7 pound chicken and just increased my roasting time. I also used the convection setting on my oven , but it’s not required. If you have a convection setting it will speed up your cooking time and aid in the browning, especially if you are roasting a larger chicken.
This is simple country French food at its best, and a great meal for a chilly fall evening.
Lemon Chicken With Croutons (Barefoot in Paris, Ina Garten)
serves 3 to 4
1 (4- to 5- pound) roasting chicken
1 large yellow onion, sliced (I used 2)
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons, quartered
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
6 cups (¾-inch) bread cubes (1 baguette or round boule)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Take the giblets out of the chicken and wash it inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers. Toss the onion with a little olive oil in a small roasting pan. Place the chicken on top and sprinkle the inside of the cavity with salt and pepper. Place the lemons inside the chicken.
Pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels, brush it with the melted butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wings under the body of the chicken.
Roast for 1 and ¼ to 1 and ½ hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Cover with foil and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. (The onions may burn, but the flavor is good.)
Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until very hot. Lower the heat to medium-low and saute the bread cubes, tossing frequently, untiol nicely browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add more olive oil as needed, and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Place the croutons on a serving platter. Slice the chicken and place it, plus all the pan juices, over the croutons. Sprinkle with salt and serve warm.
