Roast Chicken with Crisp Toasts and Ricotta
A sophisticated roasted chicken stuffed with a creamy ricotta, pine nut, and sage mixture, served on crispy sourdough toasts with a rich Marsala cream sauce. Perfect for a special dinner occasion.
Ingredients
- •1 whole 3 1/2-4 pound chicken
- •2 tablespoons Kosher salt
- •8 leaves fresh sage leaves
- •2 teaspoons flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)
- •¼ cup pine nuts
- •¾ cup fresh whole-milk ricotta
- •1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- •1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- •1 tablespoons olive oil
- •2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- •4 slices 1"-thick slices rustic sourdough loaf
- •¾ cup dry Marsala
- •½ cup heavy cream
- •½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- •2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- •2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
- •1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- •½ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
- •¼ cup spicy greens (such as arugula or watercress)
- •1 tablespoons olive oil
- •2 tablespoons olive oil for drizzling
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Season chicken inside and out with kosher salt and chill, uncovered, 12-24 hours.
1440 min
- 2.
Let chicken stand at room temperature 1 hour.
60 min
- 3.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450°.
10 min
- 4.
Pulse sage and sea salt in a food processor until finely ground. Add pine nuts and pulse until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl and mix in ricotta, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stuff chicken with ricotta mixture, then tie legs together with kitchen twine.
15 min
- 5.
Place chicken in a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven and rub all over with oil. Roast, basting every 10 minutes after the first 30 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh registers 165°, 45-55 minutes. Brush butter over chicken and roast 5 minutes longer. Let rest 5 minutes.
60 min
- 6.
Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet or a cutting board with a well. Place chicken on top of bread and pour pan drippings over (reserve skillet). Tent chicken with foil and let rest 15-25 minutes, allowing bread to soak up juices.
20 min
- 7.
Heat reserved skillet over medium heat, then add wine, scraping up browned bits from bottom of skillet. Bring wine to a boil, reduce heat, and whisk in cream, broth, and butter until incorporated. Simmer, whisking often, until sauce coats the back of a spoon, 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in 1 tablespoons lemon juice, and season sauce with salt and pepper.
15 min
- 8.
Meanwhile, heat a medium cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Transfer soaked bread to pan and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Set toasts aside.
8 min
- 9.
Toss greens, 1 tablespoons oil, and remaining 1 tablespoons lemon juice in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper.
5 min
- 10.
Remove twine from chicken. Spoon stuffing onto reserved toasts and arrange on a platter. Cut chicken into quarters and place on top of bread. Pour sauce around; drizzle chicken with more oil and serve with greens.
10 min
