Perfect Pairings: Chevalier Daviaud, 2007, Puisseguin Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux, France, 243535

Roasted Chicken with Fennel

1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

1. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

2. Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.







					Roasted Chicken with Fennel 1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs 1 lemon, halved 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted 1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced 4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks 1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges Olive oil Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 1. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top. 2. Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.



	Chevalier Davidaud • 2007 • Puisseguin Saint-Emilion • France • 243535 Grape: Merlot Blend appearance - bright, clear color : medium purple aroma - subtle flavors (smell + taste) sweetness - dry acidity - defined oak - burnt wood fruit - black cherries earth - licorice body - medium tannins - moderate additional notes - very subtle, may need more time				• It was the Romans who established viticulture there over 2000 years ago and since that time the Bordelais have been honing their skills as the world's premier winemakers. • Merlot has found it's home on the more northerly "right" bank. Named after right bank villages near which they are produced, the world's greatest Merlot's go by the names Saint-Emilion and Pomerol. • The 18th and 19th Centuries are seen as the Golden Age of Bordeaux. • The ancestral home of the Merlot grape is considered to be the Bordeaux region of France. Named after the country's fourth largest city, Bordeaux, on the Garonne River just off of the Atlantic coast.