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| Some of the basics... |
Since I'm all grown up now, I figured I should master how to roast a whole chicken. It's a basic recipe and easy to pull out for company...everyone loves it. If you don't already have this one in your arsenal, read on, and if you already do...read on anyway, because this isn't your average roast chicken ;-)
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Chop some red potatoes into bite sized chunks and toss with a splash of olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Toss 'em in a baking dish and set aside whilst you prepare the bird!
Grab yourself some buttah' and let it soften...if you're like me and wait until the last minute to get it
out and start cooking, zap it in the microwave for about 10 seconds...that should do it. Chop up a handful of parsley, zest a lemon, and mince 2 cloves of garlic. Mix well and set aside.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Chop some red potatoes into bite sized chunks and toss with a splash of olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Toss 'em in a baking dish and set aside whilst you prepare the bird!
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| Mmmm butter...and other stuff. |
Grab yourself some buttah' and let it soften...if you're like me and wait until the last minute to get it
out and start cooking, zap it in the microwave for about 10 seconds...that should do it. Chop up a handful of parsley, zest a lemon, and mince 2 cloves of garlic. Mix well and set aside.
Now, the important difference between your average roast chicken recipe and this one is the butchering of the chicken. Some call it butterflying, others call it spatchcocking...whatever you call it, it helps the chicken cook more evenly and it can even cook faster. Get yourself a nice, whole chicken. Rinse and pat dry (both inside and out....and remove all the...innards). Flip it over and, using poultry shears, cut out the spine. Then you cut notches in the cartilage on either side of the breast bone and yank that out. But do it nicely...you don't want to tear up your chicken. Then you flip it over and voila! You have a beautifully butterflied chicken. Check out this helpful video that I used to learn this technique.
Splay out that bird on a baking sheet (rimmed, of course) and
retrieve your butter mixture. Slather that stuff all over the top of the bird...make sure you get all the exposed skin with it...trust me. Season with a little salt and pepper.
Both the potatoes and the chicken can go in together. In about 30 minutes, remove the potatoes and stir them around so they get crisp on all sides and return to the oven. Continue baking for another 15-30 minutes. You'll know your chicken is finished when the thigh meat registers a temperature of 165 degrees and the juices run clear. Carve it up and serve it along side those tasty taters and a fresh green salad. YUM!
Oh, and bonus...you can squeeze the lemon juice from that lemon you zested earlier over pretty much the entire meal and it gives it a little extra zip!
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
2 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 c parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
zest of 1 lemon
4-6 red potatoes, cut to 1" pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp thyme
Salt and pepper
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Rinse and pat dry the chicken, removing everything from the cavity. Spatchcock if desired and place on baking dish.
2. Combine butter, parsley, garlic, and lemon zest. Mix well and slather on bird. Season liberally with salt and pepper
3. Toss potatoes in olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Place in separate baking dish.
4. Bake together for approximately 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees and juices run clear. Stir potatoes at 30 minutes and return to oven for the remainder of the hour.
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| Awaiting the oven... |
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| After. Look at all that crispy skin! |
retrieve your butter mixture. Slather that stuff all over the top of the bird...make sure you get all the exposed skin with it...trust me. Season with a little salt and pepper.
Both the potatoes and the chicken can go in together. In about 30 minutes, remove the potatoes and stir them around so they get crisp on all sides and return to the oven. Continue baking for another 15-30 minutes. You'll know your chicken is finished when the thigh meat registers a temperature of 165 degrees and the juices run clear. Carve it up and serve it along side those tasty taters and a fresh green salad. YUM!
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| You can't tell me that doesn't look tasty! |
Oh, and bonus...you can squeeze the lemon juice from that lemon you zested earlier over pretty much the entire meal and it gives it a little extra zip!
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
2 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 c parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
zest of 1 lemon
4-6 red potatoes, cut to 1" pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp thyme
Salt and pepper
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Rinse and pat dry the chicken, removing everything from the cavity. Spatchcock if desired and place on baking dish.
2. Combine butter, parsley, garlic, and lemon zest. Mix well and slather on bird. Season liberally with salt and pepper
3. Toss potatoes in olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Place in separate baking dish.
4. Bake together for approximately 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees and juices run clear. Stir potatoes at 30 minutes and return to oven for the remainder of the hour.
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