Creamy tarragon roast chicken
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Ant Duncan
Creamy tarragon roast chicken
Spreading a layer of herby soft cheese under the skin gives a roast chicken extra-luxe succulence at a purse-friendly price
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
409Kcal
Fat
20gr
Saturates
10gr
Carbs
1gr
Sugars
1gr
Fibre
0gr
Protein
56gr
Salt
0.9gr
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our former Junior Food Editor. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our former Junior Food Editor. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
Ingredients
- 100g full fat soft cheese
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 x 20g pack tarragon, leaves finely chopped
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 lemon
- 1 x 1.6kg whole chicken
- 30g soft butter
Step by step
Get ahead
Prep the chicken to the end of step 3, ready for roasting, a few hours ahead; cover and chill. Remove from the fridge 30-45 minutes before roasting.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Mix together the soft cheese, garlic, most of the tarragon, and the mustard. Zest the lemon and stir this into the mixture, seasoning to taste. Cut the lemon in half and stuff the halves inside the chicken cavity.
- Use your hand to loosen the chicken skin away from the breast, releasing the skin from the meat so you form a pocket on top of each breast. Push the tarragon cheese mixture into the pockets, smoothing it as far up the breast as you can.
- Put the chicken in a roasting tin, pat the skin dry and rub the butter all over the outside of the chicken. Season generously.
- Roast for 55 minutes-1 hour or until cooked, with the juices running clear when you pierce the thickest part of the thigh. Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 20 minutes.
- Carve the chicken and spoon over some of the roasting tin juices. Scatter over the remaining tarragon.
