OMG!

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OH MY GOODNESS!  I stumbled upon the easiest (we’re talking 4 ingredients – two of which are olive oil and S&P), most decadent, most delicious, most wonderful, richest, and probably one of the most fattening roasted chicken recipes – purely by necessity and accident. You see, I had a 3-pack (from Costco, of course) of Boursin cheese in my fridge. The entire thing was unopened and the expiration date was a few days ago… why the heck did I buy it? I don’t remember, all I can think is that I must have read the date wrong and intended to use it during the holidays. Boursin is too good and too pricey to waste, so I needed a way to use most, if not all, of it up – NOW!  I went to FoodNetwork.com and searched “Boursin” and this recipe, from the adorable Emeril Lagasse, was the first one I saw – plus it uses 2 packages – Perfect!

I had the pleasure of working with Emeril in 2001 when I was the producer of the Culinary Concert for the International Association of Culinary Professionals and he was one of the Star Chefs.

When I say he is adorable, I mean it! He is one of the nicest, most genuine, sincere, warm, and sweetest guys around. Emeril dear, my taste buds and I thank you for this recipe, but my waistline and cholesterol levels curse you!

You’ll find the original recipe on the Foodnetwork.com link above, I’ve edited it a bit for length and ease.

Charlotte’s Boursin Roasted Chicken

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (3 1/2 to 4-pound) whole chicken
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (5.2-ounce) packages Boursin

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat the bottom of a roasting pan or shallow casserole dish with olive oil.

Rinse the chicken well under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Season the chicken well, inside and out, with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the prepared pan and place 1 whole package of Boursin cheese inside the cavity of the chicken. Cut the remaining package of Boursin into fourths and pat 1/4 of the cheese spread over the breast portion of the chicken. Allow the remaining 3/4 of the block of cheese to sit out at room temperature while the chicken is roasting.

Place the roasting pan in the center of the oven. After about 10 minutes, remove the pan from the oven, and using an off-set spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the Boursin all over the top of the chicken. Return the pan to the oven and roast for 25 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and use a wooden spoon, inserted through the center of the chicken, to turn the chicken over so the back is now facing up. A small amount of cheese will ooze out of the chicken, so spread it all over the back side of the chicken. Return the pan to the oven and roast until the back side of the chicken is golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and turn the chicken over again, so the breast is once again facing up. Continue to cook until the chicken is done, 25 to 30 minutes more. Test for doneness by inserting an instant-read thermometer in the thigh, without touching a bone, and the thermometer reads between 160 and 165 degrees.

Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer it to a plate or cutting board. Set aside, loosely covered with aluminum foil. Pour the drippings from the pan into a glass measuring cup. The fat will rise to the top, spoon off and discard as much rendered fat as possible. Add the remaining cheese to the measuring cup. Remove any remaining melted cheese from the cavity of the chicken and add it to the measuring cup. Heat sauce in a microwave for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated through.

Carve the chicken into serving pieces. Serve the sauce spooned over the carved chicken.

Serves 4 to 6