Rabbit rabbit! We are FINALLY into February and a celebratory dinner is in order!

Every home cook should have a trusty roast chicken recipe, and this one has been my go-to for years. Pair it with some dressed greens, a lemon rice pilaf, and a colorful veg and you have a warm and hearty meal. I prefer to use fresh herbs but here the dried herbes du Provence blend is perfect.

When it comes to cooking with Champagne, skip the pricey bottles; choose one that’s good enough to drink but save the Ruinart for celebrating! Choose a Champagne or sparkling wine with a low dosage g/L, in other words, a drier wine.

Ingredients:
5# whole chicken
2C good champagne
3 small onions, quartered
2 lemons, quartered
5T salted butter
1T herbes de Provence (mixture of thyme, basil, fennel, marjoram, and lavender)
1½t sea salt
about 2T EVOO for the roasting pan

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450°. Swirl the EVOO across the bottom of the roasting pan, ensuring a nice coating for the chicken to rest on. Add more if needed. Do not rinse the chicken. There’s no need and you’ll just spread bacteria and risk cross-contamination.

Pat the chicken dry and place the chicken breast-side up in the pan. Stuff the cavity with the quartered lemons. If you have room in the cavity for more lemons feel free to add more. Place the onions around the chicken.

In a small pan, melt the butter with the herbes de Provence and sea salt. Give it a little whisk to dissolve the salt and get all the dried herbs coated with butter. Set aside to allow the herbs to infuse into the butter. Pour the champagne over the chicken and then use a pastry brush to evenly coat the chicken with the melted butter mixture.

Position the chicken on the highest rack possible to encourage a beautifully crispy, golden skin. If you have a convection option in your oven, use it. Roast at 450° for 15 – 20 minutes, just long enough to kickstart that golden crust. After 20 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 375° and continue roasting, basting occasionally, until the internal temperature reaches 165° (check the thigh). Plan for about 20 minutes of roasting per pound.

Baste generously, and you’ll be rewarded with beautifully crisp, golden skin and rich flavor. Once the chicken is perfectly roasted, remove it from the oven and take a moment to admire your masterpiece. Tent it loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes, allowing the juices to redistribute while you finish preparing the sides. When ready to serve, don’t forget to drizzle over the luscious pan juices for the perfect finishing touch.

Note: Letting the chicken rest will keep all the delicious juices inside the meat rather than being released with your first slice.

Save the bones! They will be perfect for simmering into a collage-rich bone broth for sipping or cooking with in the coming week.

# = pound
T = tablespoon
t = teaspoon
EVOO = extra virgin olive oil

Wine Pairing: Champagne of course, Pinot Noir,/French Burgundy, Vermentino, Sauvignon Blanc/Sancerre, Provençal Rosé. So many options!