Whole Roasted Chicken with Blueberry Sauce

Golden brown herb de provence whole roasted chicken accompanied by a caramelized shallot and blueberry sauce with fresh thyme.

One of the best smells in the world is walking into a home and smelling chicken roasting in the oven. It brings thoughts of warm family dinners and home cooked meals. I know that you can go to just about any grocery store or Costco and buy a pre-roasted chicken for cheap. I’m not saying that they do not have their place in life, but roasting a chicken at home and getting that crispy fatty skin right out of the oven can not be replaced.

This recipe with the fresh blueberries elevates this dish to something special. Making it perfect for guests or something different for the holidays.  Especially if you are keeping it small and don’t want to cook a whole turkey.

‍

‍

What ingredients do you need for whole roasted chicken with blueberry sauce?

• Whole Chicken
• Butter
• Herb de Provence
• Bay Leaves
• Lemon  
• Grapeseed Oil
• Blueberries
• Shallot
• Sugar
• Fresh Thyme

‍

The Recipe...

For the chicken, preheat the oven to 375℉. In a small bowl combine butter, herb de provence, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper.  

Gently lift the skin on the breast of the chicken and smear the butter mixture under trying to get it as far to the legs as possible while not tearing the skin. Use all the butter.

Season the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper as well as the inside cavity and put bay leaves and the zested lemon cut in quarters on the inside.

Place chicken in a roasting pan breast side up and roast chicken for approximately 45  to 1 hour depending on size. Juices should run clear when done.  Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before cutting to let the juices settle .

When chicken is ready, remove from the roasting pan and set aside. Place the pan on the stovetop and heat on medium. Deglaze with white wine and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon to get all the little bits (called FOND, this is the foundation of our sauce) where all the flavor is. Let the wine reduce to evaporate the alcohol and save this liquid for the blueberry sauce

For the sauce, slice shallot and sauté until lightly caramelized in grape seed oil.  When shallots are ready add blueberries, sugar, and a bay leaf to the pan. Heat until berries burst and juices start to come out.

Now add the pan juices from roasted chicken, (if making ahead use a ½ cup of chicken stock ) let simmer for 2 minutes. Add fresh thyme, lemon zest and juice to taste.

Season with salt and pepper.

‍

‍

Recipe Tips:

Tip #1

• For the chicken, this is my advice: roast two chickens.
• A good sized chicken will feed 4 people. But honestly, that’s not enough. Make two chickens and if there are leftovers you can do so many things.
• Leftover chicken can be used to make: chicken salad, chicken sandwiches, tacos, pasta, pot pie …… endless ideas!
• It’s also a great item to have on hand to add to lunch salads like Caesar or a chopped salad during the week.

Tip #2

• If you need to adjust the consistency, I prefer to use cornstarch as a thickener so that the sauce stays shiny and clear.
• Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with chicken stock and stir into heated sauce.
• Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes to activate cornstarch. Pour a little sauce on a white plate and tilt to see how thick your sauce is.

Make Ahead:

• If you want the crispy skin, you really have to cook the chicken the day of. Let rest for 10 minutes to let the juices settle for a moist and tender chicken.
• The blueberry sauce can be made a day or two before. You want to put the blueberry sauce in a tightly concealed container until served so it does not dry out or pick up flavors from your refrigerator.
• You can also make the compound butter ahead of time and store in the refrigerator or freeze for up to 3 months.

Storing tips:

• Store the chicken and sauce separately.
• The chicken can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
• Blueberry sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 days or frozen for 3 months in an airtight container