Honey-Thyme Glazed Chicken with Celery Root & Fig Gratin

A comforting roasted chicken dish elevated with a delicate honey-thyme glaze and a subtly sweet and earthy celery root and fig gratin. The herbaceous aroma and warm flavors create a comforting, yet sophisticated, family meal.

1 hour 45 minutes | 680 | 6 servings

Sweet, Savory, Herbaceous • Medium • Weird Score: 6/10

Equipment: Roasting Pan, 8x8 inch Baking Dish, Saucepan, Whisk, Small Bowl, Basting Brush, Meat Thermometer • Shop these items →

Ingredients

Chicken
1 Whole chicken (about 3-4 lbs)
Honey-Thyme Glaze
1/4 c Clover honey
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 tbsp Fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp Fine sea-salt
Celery Root & Fig Gratin
2 Medium celery roots, peeled and thinly sliced
8 Fresh figs, quartered
1/2 c Heavy cream
1/4 c Whole milk
1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp White pepper
1/4 c Grated Gruyere cheese
1 tbsp Cake flour
Vegetables
1 Yellow onion, quartered
2 Carrots, chopped
2 Celery stalks, chopped
2 sprig Fresh rosemary
For Roasting
2 tbsp Avocado Oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F (200C).
Prepare the Chicken: Rinse the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. Season inside the cavity with sea-salt.
Prepare the Honey-Thyme Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, fresh thyme, and sea-salt. Set aside.
Prepare the Gratin: In a saucepan, whisk cake flour with heavy cream and whole milk and bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg and white pepper. Set aside.
Assemble the Gratin: In a greased 8x8 inch baking dish, layer half of the sliced celery root, followed by half of the quartered figs. Pour half of the cream mixture over the celery root and figs. Repeat the layers with the remaining celery root, figs, and cream mixture. Sprinkle the grated Gruyere cheese evenly over the top.
Prepare the Roasting Pan: Place the quartered onion, chopped carrots, chopped celery stalks, and rosemary sprigs in the bottom of a roasting pan. Drizzle with avocado oil.
Roast the Chicken: Place the chicken on top of the vegetables in the roasting pan. Brush the chicken generously with half of the Honey-Thyme Glaze. Roast for 45 minutes.
Glaze and Finish Roasting: Remove the chicken from the oven and brush with the remaining Honey-Thyme Glaze. Return to the oven and continue roasting for another 30-45 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F (74C) in the thickest part of the thigh.
Bake the Gratin: After the chicken has been roasting for 45 minutes (at the first glaze step), place the prepared Celery Root & Fig Gratin in the oven alongside the chicken. Bake until the gratin is golden brown and bubbly, about 30-40 minutes.
Rest and Serve: Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve the carved chicken with a generous portion of the Celery Root & Fig Gratin and pan juices spooned over the top.