This Roast Chicken with Bacon and Sage might not be enough to get your significant other to propose marriage, but it makes a great meal.
Jump to RecipeLunchbox came over tonight with a serious issue โ heโs performing a wedding next weekend, and the text the bride & groom had chosen needed to be kicked up a notch. This is actually the fourth time Iโve written vows or a marriage ceremony and the second time LB & I have worked up a set for a couple we love โ but this was my first time attempting it sober (thatโs Lunchbox on the right in the photo โ he was Trishโs โextra bridesmaidโ). So far, the couples whoโve gotten married with vows I wrote are happily together (Iโve never written my own, maybe I need to look at thatโฆ) โ so we were feeling pretty good about how this was all gonna go. I whipped up some pasta with Argentinian Red Shrimp โ theyโre super-sweet and meaty, more like little lobster tails โ and we got to work. Then LB lays the big news on me: now that heโs ordained, he can use the title Reverend, start his own church, wear those little white collars, get special parking and absolve others of their sins. Hold the phone. WHAT?
Iโm proud to announce that I got ordained this evening, so if youโd like me to perform your marriage ceremony, please know Iโll be parking in front. Iโll wear the little collar too if it goes with my outfit. And Iโm only giving communion with Gluten-Free wafers, obviously.
We were high-fiving each other about our awesome ceremony script, and LB asked what I was doing tomorrow. When I told him I was guest-lecturing at Fresno State before doing a TV appearance, we both cracked up. Clearly the folks in charge didnโt check my transcripts before inviting me back to teach.
I sat down to prep for tomorrowโs events, and my mind darted back to my last few G-Free Foodie cooking classes. One of my favorite things is Roast Chicken, but Iโve almost gotten to the point where I wonโt teach those recipes because I canโt make it through class without some chick (often more than one) asking me if I can teach them to make Engagement Chicken, or if I can explain the difference between whatever Iโm demonstrating and Wedding Chicken.
Yes, I can make it. No, I wonโt teach you. Because I think itโs ridiculous.
If you havenโt heard of Engagement Chicken, hereโs the short version: itโs Roast Chicken with lemon, herbs and garlic, which is fine, but itโs usually prepared by someone who doesnโt know how to cook much of anything else, for the purposes of getting a boyfriend to propose. And that I just canโt get behind.
Lord knows Iโm all for cooking amazing food for your significant other and anyone else who might be around. ALL FOR IT. But if youโre with somebody who isnโt quite bright enough to figure out that you donโt cook any other time, or he/she needs a roast chicken to push them over the edge, and thatโs what youโre relying on to set up your future, I donโt even know how to help you โ especially in the middle of a class of 24 people. Because in my mind, Iโm wondering why you just donโt say: โI made chicken, and also Iโd like to get married, letโs talk about that please, Iโll get the wine.โ
And if youโre going to make chicken that makes someone want to commit to you for the rest of your natural lives, should it really be lemon & herb? Iโm just looking for a life with a little more depth of flavor, I think โ in more ways than one. So Iโm giving you my recipe for Bacon and Sage Roast Chicken โ itโs my personal favorite. Make this one, or create a version you love, and then maybe the person you love will be inspired by your creativity. And hopefully your taste in rock bands.
Hereโs the real question โ if I throw someone in the pool, does that count as a baptism now?
All the Love โ KC
Roast Chicken with Bacon and Sage
Ingredients
- 1 5 pound chicken
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- paprika
- 1 bunch fresh sage
- 3 shallots cut into wide slices
- 2-3 tablespoon olive oil
- 4-5 slices bacon make certain it's gluten-free
- *1 cup Gluten Free chicken stock, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Use about ยพths of the shallots and half of the sage to create a bed for the chicken in a large roasting pan, place the chicken on top. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the remaining sage and shallots, reserving one nice looking spring of sage to garnish the chicken. Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken to coat, and sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string or a roasting band and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Lay the bacon slices over the chicken to cover.
- Roast the chicken for 1 hour. If the bacon looks crispy, remove the bacon slices from the top of the chicken and set aside. (If the bacon isnโt crispy, check it again in 5-7 minutes & remove.) Continue roasting the chicken for an additional ยฝ hour, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove from the oven and tent with foil for 5-10 minutes.
- *If youโd like to make a pan gravy, see directions below.
For pan gravy:
- Place the chicken on a platter for serving, replacing the bacon and adding the fresh sage for garnish.
- Remove the shallots & sage from the bottom of the roasting pan, leaving at least 2 tablespoons of the fat from the bottom of the pan. Place the roasting pan over two burners on medium-high and add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Serve with the chicken.
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