Juicy roast chicken is flavoured with aromatic fresh bay leaves and roasted with fresh peaches. This splendid roast chicken is the perfect centrepiece for a feast inspired by the region of Gondor from Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
A Feast in Gondor – Inspired by The Lord of the Rings
Let us travel to Middle Earth, down the Anduin River, for a lavish feast in Gondor. A feast in the great southern kingdom of men is imbued with the splendour of a realm rich in history and majesty. To create recipes worthy of the Great Hall of Feasts in the White City of Kings, we take inspiration from Tolkien’s own imagined ideas of Gondor, the different geographical regions of Gondor, and the influence of Minas Tirith as an urban centre.
In fair Ithilien
In The Two Towers, when Sam is foraging for his rabbit stew, he is delighted to find a wide array of fragrant herbs, including bay, growing in the hills of Ithilien. Fresh bay leaves have a delightful, aromatic fragrance that far surpasses their dried counterpart.
Blended with kosher salt, the fresh bay leaves add a delicate flavour to this juicy, roast chicken. Fresh peaches brought in from Lossarnach, a region south-west of Minas Tirith, are roasted alongside the chicken in this delightful centrepiece of our Gondorian feast.
Ingredients
Whole chicken: I like to use a small fryer chicken for this recipe. Fryers are young chickens about 3 to 4 pounds in size. A fryer will remain tender and juicy after roasting at this high temperature.
Fresh bay leaves: While dried bay leaves are a ubiquitous addition to many a stew or soup, the fresh leaves have a delightful, aromatic flavour all their own. Try as best you can to find fresh leaves. If you are unable to source fresh bay leaves, you can use dried; however, the flavour will be slightly altered.
Fresh peaches: Juicy fresh peaches are roasted alongside the chicken. To prepare the peaches, wash them well but leave the peel on. Cut into quarters and remove the pit. I like to add them partway through roasting so that they don’t break down completely while roasting.
How to Make Bay Roasted Chicken with Peaches
Make the bay leaf salt
Strip the bay leaves from the spine of the leaf and tear into small pieces. Strip the leaves from the fresh thyme sprigs. Add the bay leaves to a small blender or spice grinder along with the fresh thyme leaves and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Grind the herbs and salt until the bay leaves are broken down into small pieces.
Transfer the bay leaf salt to a small bowl. Add the remaining kosher salt and stir together. The salt can be made ahead of time.
Salt the chicken
In what amounts to basically a dry brine, salting the chicken ahead of time will render an extremely juicy, tender, and downright flavourful chicken. Pat the chicken dry and remove any strings. Liberally sprinkle the bay leaf salt all over the surface of the chicken, even on the back. Reserve a little of the bay leaf salt to use later.
Place the chicken on a plate, or a small tray with a rack if possible. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
Roast the chicken
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Drizzle a little olive oil in a roasting pan and spread the sliced onion out to create a bed for the chicken to sit on. Place the chicken on top of the sliced onions. Drizzle with the olive oil and lightly rub it over the skin, trying not to remove the herbs.
Add the wine, or broth, to the roasting pan. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes.
To prepare the peaches, wash them well but leave the skins intact. Cut into quarters and remove the pits. Arrange the peaches around the chicken in the roast pan. Sprinkle with a little of the remaining bay leaf salt.
Roast the chicken for another 30 to 45 minutes until fully cooked. Check the roasting pan occasionally to make sure it doesn’t run dry. Add a splash more wine, broth, or even water if the pan becomes dry.
The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove the chicken to a platter and let rest before carving.
Serve the Bay Roasted Chicken with Peaches
To serve, carve the chicken into pieces. Cut the legs off each side of the chicken and then split the drumstick from the thigh. Cut the wings off. Slice each breast off the breastbone. Slice each breast into 3 or 4 slices.
Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Arrange the peaches around the edge of the chicken and drizzle with the pan juices. Enjoy!
