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Krisha |
Maria |
Roasted Chicken
by Krisha on February 17, 2011
If you are looking for a simple recipe that will satisfy your whole family and leave your house smelling delicious, try our roasted chicken. The recipe below was adapted from a recipe Maria created for CooksAid years ago when we were just getting started. You can adjust it as you desire, depending on what you have on hand. It is one of those recipes that after you cook it once, you won't even need to look at a recipe.
Ingredients:
Whole chicken (3-4 pounds)
Carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
Onion, cut into large pieces (or use frozen pearl onions, like I did below)
Baby red potatoes, scrubbed (cut them in half or quarters if they are large)
Olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Garlic, minced
Lemon, quartered
Fresh herbs (e.g., rosemary, thyme), chopped
Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Prepare your carrots, onion, potatoes, lemon, garlic, and fresh herbs.
3. Place the veggies in a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Then move the veggies to the perimeter of the pan.
4. Remove the giblets from the cavity (this is easier than it sounds; they are usually contained in a package). I discard the giblets, but a real chef would repurpose them.
5. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry. Then place the chicken, breast side up, in your roasting pan. Beginning at the chicken neck, use your fingers to gently separate the skin from the meat, as far down as you can go.
6. Combine garlic, fresh herbs, salt, pepper, and enough olive oil to make a paste.
7. Rub the paste generously onto the chicken breast under the separated skin. Fill the cavity of the chicken with the lemon slices. If you have an oven-safe thermometer, place it into the thigh joint, away from the bone, as shown. (This thermometer connects to my oven, so it will tell me when the chicken reaches a desired temperature. If you don't have one of these, monitor the chicken's temperature until it is done, and note the approximate cooking time in your oven for future reference.)
8. Place the pan in the center of your oven, and cook 45-75 minutes, or until your thermometer registers 170-175 degrees F.
9. Remove the chicken from the oven, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest 10-15 minutes. Carve and serve!