Roasted Split Chicken with Mustard Crust

Jacques Pepin is a genius - I dare you to find one of his recipes that you don't just loooove! I've been making this split chicken recipe for a few years for my husband and finally remembered to write things down to share with all of you. I first saw it on an episode of More Fast Food My Way. Jacques pairs it with his fluffy mashed potatoes (of course).

This mustard/wine/herb marinade is absolutely amazing! Most of the ingredients are always in my pantry. I just need to open a bottle of wine and start the marinade the day before. If you haven't heard of herbes de Provence, it's a French spice blend usually consisting of oregano, basil, sage, thyme, rosemary, fennel, and lavender. (I wouldn't recommend making your own, just fork over a few bucks and buy it from Penzey's!)

This is a simple recipe that will surely impress your friends. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp chopped garlic
• 3 tbsp dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp dry white wine, plus more for cooking
• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp tabasco sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp herbes de provence
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 whole chicken (approx 4-5 lbs)

Prep the chicken:
1. Lay the chicken on a large cutting board - breasts down. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut the back bone out of the chicken. Press the sides flat to expose the insides. I like to remove the small rib bones, too. To help cut down on the cooking time, cut the joins between the thighs and drumsticks and the shoulder and wings. Jacques says this will help the heat penetrate these joints and accelerate the cooking process.

A bit graphic.. sorry!

Make the marinade:
1. In a small bowl, mix together all of the ingredients.

2. Place the chicken in a large ziploc bag and pour the marinade. Mix it around well so the chicken is well coated. Place that bag in a second ziploc - you don't want a bone to poke a hole in it and leak all over your fridge!
3. Place the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. If you have time, let it sit overnight and turn it once or twice so the marinade really soaks in.

Cook the chicken:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes until it's nice and hot. Add the chicken, skin-side up, and cook for five minutes. Be sure to use all the sauce from the ziploc - pour it all over the chicken.

3. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Check on it every 10 minutes or so and if the liquid evaporates, add some white wine to the skillet. This will help to keep the chicken moist as the skin browns. Use a thermometer and check the chicken - it should be around 160 degrees when it's done. I usually pull it out around 150 because it will continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes while it rests.

4. After the chicken has rested, transfer it back to a large cutting board (make sure it's clean!) You can use a knife or shears to separate the chicken into 8 pieces - I do 2 legs, 2 wings, and 4 breasts (cutting each one in half).

Serve with smashed potatoes. Spoon the extra sauce from the skillet over the chicken. The chicken makes for great leftovers - delicious chicken sandwiches!

Check out that crust!

Serves: 6
WW: 6 pts for half a chicken breast, no skin