Roast Chicken with Lavender and Agave

Did you ever have a lavender-scented product that smelled so good you could eat it? Then this recipe is for you. Before this recipe, I tested out the concept of lavender and chicken with a simple recipe (see photo) posted just about everywhere online---a simple concoction of chicken breasts seasoned with salt, pepper and lavender. (I used 1 tablespoon lavender, 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt) then wrapped in bacon and broiled. The bacon "mans" it up adequately, but the delicate, unmistakable, spa-inspired lavender would be better served to your lady-friends at lunch.
The following recipe was written by Mark Tafoya for the Gilded Fork, and is much more complex, earthy and altogether satisfying. It originally called for honey, but I've substituted always-versatile agave to create a low-glycemic dish.

1 whole chicken, or cornish hen
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 teaspoon lavender
½ cup agave
1 small onion, minced ¼ cup aged balsamic vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons marjoram
1 garlic clove, minced

Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl and stir thoroughly. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes (reduce time for a smaller bird such as a cornish hen). Baste using a pastry brush with the lavender honey marinade every 5 minutes or so for an additional 30 minutes or until completely cooked. The bird is done when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165° F. Do not overcook. Tafoya's note: Once the bird has browned nicely, you can cover it with foil until it is finished cooking to prevent the skin and marinade from burning. Once finished, you can brush additional marinade between the flesh and the skin.

Food Fact! English Lavender (l. angustifolia and munstead) has the sweetest fragrance of all the lavenders and is commonly used in cooking. Flowers and leaves can be used fresh, and both buds and stems can be used dried. A member of the mint family and close to rosemary, sage, and thyme, culinary lavender is best used with fennel, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, and savory. Try experimenting with lavender spikes and leaves in place of rosemary, or for making fruit or shrimp kabobs---Just place your favorite fruit on the stems and grill. Lavender flowers also look and taste beautiful in a glass of champagne. Please note: Do not eat flowers from florists, nurseries, or garden centers. In many cases these flowers have been treated with pesticides not labeled for food crops.