Roast Chicken Véronique

Means with grapes.  The grapes freeze well to eat as is (oh jah, frozen grapes are the best!) and to roast with the chicken.  Even if you don't care to eat the roasted grapes as a side dish, they make ah-maz-ing drippings for even more ah-maz-ing gravy.  Sunday dinner at its best.

If you prep this as a freezer kit, give yourself more time for thawing than you think you'll need.  There's nothing worse than trying chisel frozen giblets out of a bird that felt thawed but isn't.  If you freeze the gravy fixings ahead, combine the milk and stock and freeze in a ziptop bag. 

Roast ChickenVéronique with Gravy
Serves 6

1 4-5 lb. whole chicken, giblets removed
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 onion, quartered
12 oz. grapes, stemmed (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup white wine or vermouth or chicken stock

To make a freezer kit, put the quartered onion and grapes in a ziptop or vacuseal bag.  Freeze the wine in cubes and put in a ziptop bag or insure that you'll have some on hand when you're ready to cook.  Leave the chicken in its packaging, and put all 3 bags in a larger one.  Include a card with the instructions.

When ready to cook thaw ingredients thoroughly.  Rub the chicken with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Put the onion inside the cavity and put the chicken in a roasting pan.  Sprinkle the grapes around the chicken.  Roast at 375F for 18-20 minutes per pound. 

Once the chicken is finished, remove to a carving platter and pour off about 1/2 cup of drippings for the gravy (keep the grapes out of it).  Spoon the fat off the top, or use a fat separator.  Let the chicken rest while you make the gravy.  Carve once the gravy is finished and serve with a scoop of roasted grapes on the side.

Gravy
Makes about 2 cups

2 tbsp flour + 2 tbsp butter OR 2 portions beurre manié
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup drippings
1/4 cup milk or cream
salt and pepper

Using frozen beurre manié

Melt the butter and whisk in the flour over medium heat, or melt the beurre manié and cook 1 minute. 

Whisk in the the stock, drippings and milk slowly.  Raise heat medium-high until the gravy begins to bubble.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer 5-7 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper (I find this gravy needs very little seasoning, thanks to the drippings). Pin It