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Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in bottom third of oven. Wash chicken, remove giblets (save for making broth later) and trim fat around cavity.
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Place chicken in roasting pan. In a small bowl whisk 2T olive oil, apricot preserves (if using) and juice from half an orange. Brush all sides of chicken with olive oil/juice/preserve mixture then generously sprinkle all sides of chicken with sea salt, pepper and Herbs De Provence.
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Place potatoes, carrots and shallots in the pan around the chicken. Squeeze juice from half an orange over vegetables and season with sea salt, pepper and Herbs de Provence. Toss in a handful of dried cherries and apricots (if using). Cut one orange into thin slices and place in roasting pan.
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Place roasting pan, lid on in oven for 2 hours.
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After 2 hours, remove lid to brown chicken and baste every 4-5 minutes for fifteen minutes.
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Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.