Today is the day I write my trifecta of recipes regarding the ultimate home cooked meal - roast chicken!
I know it’s cliche now to say, “in these times” but here I go..
In these times we’re conscientious of making the most of our hard earned dollar and the meat we buy from it. It’s especially desirable to me to make the most of the hard work of local farmers and the life of the animal that we cook. That’s why I’m about to do a series on how to stretch out a big local chicken into 3 recipes!
Roast Chicken Breast with Mixed Local Root Vegetables
Roast Chicken Legs with Sweet Potato and Broccoli
and
Enjoy!
Roast Chicken with Mixed Local Root Vegetables
Serves 4
2 lbs mixed root vegetables, peeled and cut into 2” chunks (I used 1 large daikon radish, 4 turnips and 3 parsnips)
4 stalks celery
8 pitted dates
1 medium onion, peeled and halved
1 head garlic, halved
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp lemon pepper
2 tbsp butter, melted
salt for seasoning
pepper for seasoning
1 big 3.5kg (7.5lbs) whole Ferme Reveuse chicken, wishbone and neck removed
Note: How to remove neck from chicken tutorial here.
Note: How to remove wishbone from chicken tutorial here.
Gravy (see recipe below)
Cooked Green Peas for Serving
Green Salad with dressing for Serving
Toss root vegetables, celery, dates and a generous pinch of salt (1 tsp) together with olive oil and poultry seasoning. Place in the bottom of a 12” skillet. Wedge in halved head of garlic among vegetables.
Melt butter and add lemon pepper. Set aside, keep warm.
Put oven rack on the lower 2/3rds of the oven.
Preheat oven to 425F.
Season halved onion with salt and pepper generously and put inside chicken cavity.
Pat outside of the chicken dry. Brush melted lemon pepper butter on the outside of the chicken. Season entire surface of the chicken with salt. Place chicken among the vegetables in the skillet. Tie chicken legs together with food safe kitchen twine.
Place skillet onto the low oven rack and bake for 12 minutes. Then turn down the oven’s heat to 350F and continue cooking for 2 hrs. NOTE this is the time it took me for the bird’s internal temperature to reach 165F which is the safe internal temperature when cooking chicken. It takes approximately 20 min per pound of chicken to reach this however as everyone’s oven is different, please take care that you do not over or under cook your chicken. This is the delicate dance for most of us. If you don’t have a thermometer you can prick the thickest part of the chicken thigh and if the juices run clear (no pink), it should be cooked. For another cooking method, please check out this awesome recipe from Ina Garten.
Place a large cutting board on top of a sheet pan. This will help keep the juices of the chicken from going all over your counter top.
Remove skillet from oven. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and tent with a large sheet of aluminum foil for 20 min.
For a full chicken carving tutorial, check out this video.
Carve chicken and reserve chicken legs, thighs and wings for the next recipe for another day. Carve chicken breast and set on a large serving platter. Place roasted vegetables around chicken breast.
Serve carved chicken breast with roasted vegetables, roasted garlic popped out of its skin, gravy (see below), cooked green peas and salad.
Gravy
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp cassava or regular flour
reserved juice from cooking chicken
After removing chicken and vegetables from roasting skillet and pouring out reserved cooking liquid into a pitcher, melt butter in skillet and whisk in flour for 3 minutes over medium heat. Add in reserved cooking liquid in a slow steady stream while whisking. Simmer until thick and serve with chicken.
