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1
Preheat the oven to 350.
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2
Season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper.
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3
Fold the wing tips under the chicken.
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4
Pack the grass and herbs over the breast and drumsticks of the chicken and cover with the lettuce leaves.
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5
Starting behind the wings, crisscross cotton kitchen string over the lettuce and around the legs to secure the aromatics.
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6
In a roasting pan, combine the carrots, parsnips, celery and onion.
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7
Add the canola oil and toss well.
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8
Set the chicken, breast side up, on the vegetables and roast for about 3 1/2 hours, or until the inner thigh juices run clear.
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9
Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes.
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10
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the cherries and cherry juice and boil until almost all of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.
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11
In a small saucepan, boil the chicken stock over high heat until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
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12
Add the reduced chicken stock to the dried cherries.
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13
Strain the chicken pan juices into a glass measuring cup.
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14
Set the roasting pan over 2 burners.
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15
Add the bourbon and simmer over moderately low heat, scraping up the browned bits, until the bourbon has reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 3 minutes.
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16
Skim the fat from the chicken pan juices and add them to the cherry sauce.
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17
Simmer for 5 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.
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18
Cut the string from the chicken and discard the lettuce, grass and herbs; leave any herbs that stick to the skin.
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19
Carve the chicken and arrange on a platter.
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20
Pass the cherry sauce at the table.
