Million Dollar Chicken

Name: Million Dollar Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 25 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French, American
Ingredients: 1 tsp Aleppo Pepper; 1 cup Crème Fraîche; 1 whole Dried Bay Leaves; 1 tsp Dried Lemon Peel; 3 whole Fresh Chives; 1 bunch Fresh Thyme; 1 whole Lemon; 2 tbsp Lemon Juice; 3 tbsp Olive Oil; 3 whole Peeled Garlic; 0.5 tsp Salt & Pepper; 1 tbsp Shallot; 3 slices Sourdough Bread; 1 whole Whole Chicken

Dinner 🍽️Lunch 🥪 French 🇫🇷American High-Protein 💪Low-Carb Carnivore 🥩Comfort-Food Anabolic Diet

Million Dollar Chicken features a whole bird roasted over olive oil–kissed sourdough so the juices crisp and flavor the bread. A tangy crème fraîche glaze with lemon, shallot, and Aleppo pepper is brushed on twice, creating glossy, savory skin and rich, lemon-herb pan flavors. It’s an impressive dinner centerpiece ideal for weekends or gatherings.

Prep20 mins
Cook1 hr 25 mins
Serves6
DifficultyMedium

1

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2

Generously season the chicken cavity with salt and black pepper. Squeeze the lemon halves into the cavity, then place the squeezed halves inside. Stuff the cavity with thyme, garlic, and a bay leaf. Set aside.
3

Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil into a heavy roasting pan. Lay the bread slices in the pan and press them lightly into the oil to coat the bottoms. Drizzle 1 more tablespoon oil over the bread and set the chicken on top. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine, then brush the chicken with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Season the entire outside of the chicken with salt.
4

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
5

Meanwhile, combine the crème fraîche, shallot, and Aleppo pepper in a small bowl. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Refrigerate the sauce until needed.
6

Using tongs, lift the chicken off the bread slices and flip the bread slices over (they will be very brown). Set the chicken back on the bread. Generously brush the outside of the chicken with the crème fraîche sauce, applying enough to drip onto the bread.
7

Bake until the sauce is browned, about 10 minutes. Repeat by generously brushing more crème fraîche sauce onto the chicken. Bake for 10 more minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh near the bone should register at least 165 degrees F (75 degrees C).
8

While the chicken rests, pour the remaining crème fraîche sauce into a small skillet over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook and stir until the shallot is cooked and the sauce thickens slightly, 1 or 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.
9

Transfer the chicken and bread pieces to a cutting board. Cut the bread pieces in half crosswise and arrange them on a serving platter. Cut the chicken into 8 serving pieces (drumsticks, thighs, wings, and breasts) and place them over the bread on the platter. Drizzle the thickened crème fraîche sauce over the chicken and garnish with chopped chive blossoms.