Roast Pesto Chicken

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02

Title: Roast Pesto Chicken
Categories: Sauces, Chicken
Yield: 4 servings

7 lb Roasting chicken
7 oz Container purchased pesto
-sauce
3 tb Dry white wine
3/4 c Plus 2 tb chicken broth
2 tb All-purpose flour
3 tb Whipping cream

Serves 4

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.

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