I don’t roast a whole chicken as often as I should, because it’s an incredibly easy dinner. Roasting the bird in a cast iron skillet, along with a bunch of hearty root vegetables (and a few tubers), and you have a great one-pot meal. To get some brown and crispy skin, I put the chicken in a big container, salted it heavily, and left it to dry in the fridge overnight.
- one 3.5-4 pound chicken
- 4 potatoes
- 8 carrots
- 4 parsnips
- 2 onions
- thyme and parsley
- half a lemon
- Maldon sea salt
Heavily salt one 3.5-4 pound chicken, put in a loosely covered container, and store in the fridge overnight. The salt will season the bird, and help dry the skin to promote browning and crispiness.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Peel 4 potatoes and cut into medium pieces. Peel 8 carrots and cut into medium pieces. Peel 4 parsnips and cut into large pieces. Peel 2 onions and cut into medium pieces. Throw all the vegetables into a large cast iron skillet. Stuff a large bunch of thyme and parsley, and half a lemon into the cavity of the chicken. Put the chicken on top of the vegetables and roast in the oven for ~45 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads ~150. Remove the chicken and cover with foil. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes. (How to Carve a Chicken, coming soon!) If you want to make sure the skin is really crispy, carve the chicken and crisp the skin under the broiler just before serving. Plate your roasted veggies, sprinkle on a little chopped parsley, top with your preferred chicken piece, and sprinkle on a little Maldon sea salt.
(Optional)
- 1-2 cups water or any flavorful liquid
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbps flour
To make a sauce for your chicken, use the crusty goodness left in the bottom of the skillet. Remove the vegetables from the skillet, and pour off any remaining liquid. Deglaze the skillet with 1-2 cups water or any flavorful liquid (heat the skillet, add the liquid, and scrap the bottom of the skillet). Once most of the crusty goodness has dissolved, add a 2 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbps flour, and whisk constantly for about two minutes. You can either strain the sauce of use it as is.
Logan's Kitchen 