Sciabica's Lavender Olive Oil and Mint Honey Roasted Chicken with Smashed Olive Oil Yukon Golds

Lavender has always made me think of the my grandmother's bathroom or stale clothing drawer pouches. Not this stuff! It has a beautiful freshness to it that tells me it hasn't been dried and processed to death. And then, well, there is the olive oil itself. It is gorgeous with a luxurious finish. I've been on a mint kick of late so here you go!

Sciabica's Lavender Olive Oil and Mint Honey Roasted Chicken with Smashed Olive Oil Yukon Golds

by Diana

1 whole chicken 4-5 pounds, rinsed and patted dry

salt and pepper

3 ribs celery

Marinade:

2 Tablespoons Sciabiaca's Lavender Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced thin

2 limes, juiced and zested

2 Tablespoons lavender honey

¼ cup white wine

2 Tablespoons minced fresh mint

salt and pepper to taste

butter and lavender olive oil to taste

Preheat oven to 425°F. Season the inside and outside of chicken with salt and pepper. Combine the marinade ingredients and give the bird a good massage with it. Then let it sit in a container for 3-4 hours in the fridge in the marinade.

Place the three ribs of celery in bottom of a roasting pan. Place chicken on top of ribs. They will add flavor and act as roasting rack. Pour marinade over chicken. Place chicken in the oven and after 20 minutes, reduce temperature to 375°F. 

Continue roasting and baste with pan marinade juices until a meat thermometer registers 160°F in the center of the breast. Figure about 20 minutes per pound of chicken. Let the chicken rest for about 20 minutes before carving, covering loosely with foil. While the chicken is resting, you can reduce the pan drippings with some wine and then swirl in some cold butter and more of the lavender olive oil for a light sauce if you would like.

For a side, I boiled some Yukon Golds with a few cloves of garlic, until the potatoes were tender. After draining, I smashed them with a bit of the reserved cooking water and a big old drizzle of Sciabica's Manzanillo Variety Fall Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil, along with salt and pepper, of course.