Butter Roasted Chicken from Normandy and a Mini Wine Review of Catsle Rock Pinot Noir

I sure hope anyone visiting me isn't sick of seeing that Essentials of French Cooking book out again. Yeppers......I love this book. It was the last book I bought from Borders before they closed. (Loved Borders too. Miss it.)

As my collection of French cookbooks (and novels, memoirs, magazines) grows...I find myself pulling this old friend off the shelf more often than any other. So...here it is.....another recipe and wine review post. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Butter Roasted Chicken from Normandy



“The sweet, unsalted butter fresh from the well fed cows of Normandy and Brittany is the easy inspiration for this recipe” says Williams-Sonoma.

Ingredients...........

1 chicken (4 to 5 pounds)
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
A small handful of fresh thyme

Heat oven to 425 F.

Rub inside of chicken with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper and add 1 tablespoon butter. Put a few thyme sprigs inside, truss chicken and tie the legs. Rub skin all over with remaining butter. (Wash your hands thoroughly immediately after you finish prep. Don’t be like me and get butter in your hair.)

Place chicken in a roasting pan. You may use a rack in the roaster or just place the chicken directly into the pan.



This was a fine pairing with basmati and wild rice mixture and Castle Rock Pinot Noir. This is a 2009 California wine from Monterey county and definitely one we will buy again. As much French wine as we have you'd think that would be the natural pairing with this dish but....we saw this Castle Rock and decided to give it a whirl. Yes, it will be invited back.



It had the deep lush color and full body we like in a Pinot. I think I will want to have this one on hand again when I make another roasted chicken. Recommended purchase on this wine.

Bon Appetit!