Million Dollar Chicken

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

Step 2
Season chicken cavity generously with salt and black pepper. Squeeze lemon halves into cavity, then drop squeezed halves inside. Stuff cavity with thyme, garlic, and bay leaf. Set aside.

Step 3
Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil into a heavy roasting pan. Place bread slices into the pan and press lightly into oil to coat the bottoms of bread. Drizzle 1 more tablespoon oil over bread and place chicken on top. Tie legs together with kitchen twine, then brush chicken with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Season the entire outside of chicken with salt.

Step 4
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.

Step 5
Meanwhile, mix together cr?me fra?che, shallot, and Aleppo pepper in a small bowl. Stir lemon juice and lemon zest into cr?me fra?che mixture. Refrigerate sauce until needed.

Step 6
Lift chicken off bread slices using tongs and flip bread slices over (they will be very brown). Place chicken back onto bread slices. Generously brush the outside of chicken with cr?me fra?che sauce, putting enough on to drip down onto bread slices.

Step 7
Bake until sauce is browned, about 10 minutes. Repeat, brushing more cr?me fra?che sauce generously onto chicken. Bake for 10 more minutes. Remove chicken from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh near the bone should read at least 165 degrees F (75 degrees C).

Step 8
While chicken rests, pour remaining cr?me fra?che sauce into a small skillet over medium heat; bring to a boil. Cook and stir until shallot is cooked and sauce thickens slightly, 1 or 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Step 9
Transfer chicken and bread pieces to a cutting board. Cut bread pieces in half crosswise and arrange them on a serving platter. Cut chicken into 8 serving pieces (drumsticks, thighs, wings, and breasts) and place over bread on the platter. Drizzle thickened cr?me fra?che sauce over chicken and garnish with chopped chive blossoms.