Recipe: Roast Pesto Chicken

Roast Pesto Chicken
Servings: 4

7 lb roasting chicken
7 ounces purchased pesto sauce
3 tbsp dry white wine
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chicken broth
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 tbsp heavy cream Fresh basil sprigs

Pat chicken dry. Slide hand between chicken skin and meat over breast and legs to form pockets. Reserve 1 tablespoon pesto for gravy; spread remaining pesto under skin and over breast and leg meat of chicken, in cavity of chicken and over outer skin. Tie legs together to hold shape.

Tuck wings under body. Place chicken in large roasting pan.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Roast chicken 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F and roast until juices run clear when chicken is pierced in thickest part of thigh, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter.

Pour pan juices into glass measuring cup; degrease. Add wine to roasting pan and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Add wine mixture and any drippings from platter to pan juices. Add enough broth to measure 1 cup. Transfer to heavy small saucepan. Combine 2 tablespoons broth and flour in bowl; stir until smooth. Add to saucepan. Bring to boil, whisking constantly. Boil until reduced to sauce consistency, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Mix in cream and reserved 1 tablespoon pesto. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish chicken with basil. Serve with gravy. - Source unknown