Creamy Bacon and Leek Roasted Chicken

Don’t let the leeks in the ingredients list scare you.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large leek, chopped

  • Olive oil

  • half a stick of butter

  • Salt

  • 1 cup dry white wine

  • 1 heaped tbsp flour

  • 3 cups chicken stock

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 Three Sisters Ranch whole chicken, or spatchcock would be lovely too

  • 10 slices bacon

  • 1 cup heavy cream, divided

  • Salt & pepper

  • Mashed Potatoes for serving

How to Cook:

In a deep pot, warm a little olive oil and add the chopped leek with a pinch of salt and the butter. Let it soften gently on a medium heat for about five minutes-without browning.

Pour in the white wine and let it simmer for a minute or two. Add the flour, the broth. Stir everything together.

Place the whole chicken into the pot—backside up. Lay the bacon slices over the exposed top of the chicken. Transfer the pot to a preheated 350° oven for 40 minutes.

Take the pot out, lift off the bacon, roughly chop the bacon, and scatter it back into the pot around the chicken. Pour in 1/2 cup heavy cream, season the exposed chicken with salt and pepper, increase the oven temperature to 375°, and return it to the oven for another 40 minutes.

When the time is up, lift the chicken from the pot, draining all the juices back into the sauce. Set the chicken aside to rest. Stir the sauce well and finish it with the remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream.

Serve the chicken with mashed potatoes or basmati rice and spoon over with sweet leek‑bacon sauce.

Diane Kahanek