Thursday, October 10, 2019

This Chicken Has Fall Written All Over It!




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What's better on a cool, crisp fall day, than a warm, comforting roasted chicken?  Andrea Chesman, who wrote the cookbook 101 One Dish Dinners, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen with a delicious idea for a classic chicken dinner.  Andrea told Tonia about her Herb Roasted Chicken with vegetables recipe. For the veggies, Andrea keeps with the fall season by using root vegetables like new potatoes, carrots, red or golden beets (Andrea prefers golden beets since they have a milder taste and don't stain) along with rutabaga and shallots.  Andrea says everything is oven roasted and can last for days, since you're roasting a whole chicken.  Chances are, it's as good on day two as it is on day one!

• 1 whole chicken, 3-1/2–5 pounds, giblets and neck removed
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 lemon (1–1-1/2 tablespoons)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (chervil, lovage, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, savory, thyme, alone or in any combination)
• 3 teaspoons coarse sea salt or kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 red bliss or new potatoes, cut into eighths
• 3 carrots, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 3 golden or red beets, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1 rutabaga, peeled, halved, and sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 6 shallots, halved
• 1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450˚F.
2. Rinse the chicken under cold running water and pat dry. Set on a large roasting pan on a rack. (The pan must be large enough to hold the vegetables in a single layer surrounding the chicken.)
3. Combine 3 tablespoons of the oil, the lemon juice, parsley, chopped fresh herbs, 2 teaspoons of the salt, and pepper, to taste in a large bowl. Mix well. Rub the mixture onto the chicken and inside the chicken cavity.
4. Add the potatoes, carrots, beets, rutabaga, shallots, and garlic to the bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Toss gently to coat the vegetables. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer around the chicken.
5. Roast for about 1 hour, until the juices run clear from the chicken and a leg moves easily. Stir the vegetables once or twice during the roasting to promote even roasting.
6. Let the chicken sit for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter. Turn the vegetables in the pan juices. Taste and add salt and pepper, if desired. Spoon the vegetables around the chicken. Serve immediately.