my version -- cornish hen stuffed with blood orange, garlic, celery, herbs, seasoned with tarragon, sage butter -- served with black rice cooked with green apple; roasted vegetable; and mixed berry balsamic gastrique...
"Poulet rôti, or French roast chicken, is a classic of the Franco culinary empire. And it's so simple: just season a chicken with herbs, place it on top of root vegetables, and baste it with plenty of butter." -- MON PETIT FOUR
"Gastrique is caramelized sugar, deglazed with vinegar or other sour liquids, used as a sweet and sour flavoring for sauces. The gastrique is generally added to a fond, reduced stock or brown sauce. It is also used to flavor sauces such as tomato sauce, savory fruit sauces and others, such as the orange sauce for duck à l'orange. The term is often broadened to mean any sweet and sour sauce, e.g. citrus gastrique or mango gastrique. An agrodolce is a similar sauce found in Italian cuisine." -- Wikipedia
"Black rice, also known as purple rice, is a range of rice types of the species Oryza sativa, some of which are glutinous rice. There are several varieties of black rice available today." -- Wikipedia
another day...
this version -- stuffed with chickpeas, seasoned with tarragon and butter under the skin -- served with roasted vegetable over arugula and balsamic glaze...
"Place the tarragon and butter under the skin, this keeps the breast moist as it cooks. The flavors of the stuffing gets absorbed into the chicken meat as the juices circulate evenly during cooking." -- Hell's Kitchen Recipes
"Preparing the Stuffing: Place the chickpeas into a bowl, season with salt and pepper and add the chilies, lemon zest, thyme leaves and a dash of olive oil. Good mix. Spoon the chickpea mixture inside the chicken cavity and place the whole lemon at the entrance. Put the garlic heads, cut side down, in a roasting tin. Place the chicken on top and drizzle with olive oil. salt, pepper the outside of the chicken and roast for 10-15 minutes, until turning golden and beginning to crisp up. Reduce the heat to 375°F and continue roasting for 1¼-1½ hours, until cooked through and golden all over. Take lemon from the inside cavity of the bird and spoon the stuffing into a large bowl. Place the chicken on a warm platter, cover loosely with foil and set aside to rest for 10-15 minutes."