Sweat the leeks in butter with salt, thyme, and tarragon (think of it as a roast-chicken version of cock-a-leekie), then add a splash of white wine.
Season the chicken on both sides, set it over the leeks, and cover it with cream.
Roast in a hot oven at about 400F for an hour and change, basting every 15 minutes.
Remove the chicken to rest and cover loosely with foil; pull out the thyme sprigs.
Tuck torn pieces of day-old bread into the pan juices so they soak everything up and turn into a panade — almost like a stuffing. Let it sit and rest about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with parsley, carve the chicken, and serve with the bread panade.
