The inspiration for my Winter-Spring Roast Chicken is based on the warm winter New York is experiencing this year. It was sunny and 50 degrees Fahrenheit outside when I decided to develop this recipe. For the flavors of spring, I used fresh tarragon, organic carrots, lemon and coconut milk. Sweet potatoes provided a taste of winter.

I used a different technique while roasting the four and one-half pound chicken. First, my husband Ron butterflied the chicken. Always interested in sharp toys, he has a procedure where he removes the spine with kitchen shears. He then spreads the chicken open, and cuts out the keel bone, or breast bone. This is easier than it sounds. In future posts, we will provide video of him doing this operation, as many wonderful dishes can be made with a whole chicken from this point.

With the spine and breast bone removed, I could now lay the chicken flat in my large Pyrex dish. The purpose of laying the chicken flat was to partially braise it in the coconut and lemon juice while roasting. This enabled the meat to soak up the juice while keeping it tender.

Winter-Spring Roast. ©Reel Chow

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