Roasted Chicken With Whole Grain Mustard Butter

Roasted Chicken With Whole Grain Mustard Butter
6 tablespoons butter, soft
1 tablespoon peeled and finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, leaves only, finely chopped
2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 1/2 pound chicken
2 ounces bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips
16 pearl onions, peeled
4 small Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into bite-size chunks
2 sprigs thyme
2 Gala apples (or other sweet apples), peeled, cored and cut into 6 wedges each
24 button mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup white wine
Place rack in the lower part of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees.
In a small bowl, mix together 4 tablespoons of the butter, the shallots, tarragon, mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper. With the breast-side up, gently separate the skin of the chicken from the flesh. Run your fingers under the skin as far as you can. Scoop up the mustard butter with your fingers and spread it under the skin evenly over each side of the breast and over the flesh of the legs.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and brush it on the chicken. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper and set it in a roasting pan. Scatter the bacon around the chicken and roast it for 15 minutes, basting occasionally with melted butter. Add the onion, potatoes and thyme, toss well with the pan juices and bake for 15 more minutes, basting it all the while. Add the apples, mushrooms and garlic, toss well with the juices and roast for an additional 15 minutes or until done, continuing to baste (see note). Transfer the chicken and vegetable to a warm platter.
Skim about half the fat from the roasting pan and discard. Set the pan on the stove over medium-high heat and add the vinegar and wine. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan and let the liquid reduce by half. Season with salt and pepper. Serve as a gravy alongside the chicken.
Serves four.
Cook's note: The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends using a meat thermometer to check for doneness when cooking a whole chicken or turkey. With a thermometer: The temperature for a whole bird should reach 180 degrees. Without a thermometer: The chicken is done when the juice is no longer pink when center of thigh is cut, and when a drumstick (leg) moves easily when lifted or twisted.
Chef Daniel Boulud for Maille Fine French Condiments