Warning: Mom, you may want to skip reading this post :) I am so proud of us! Last night for dinner we made a whole roast chicken! That may not seem like a big deal to you but to this former vegetarian it was a ginormous deal! Did you notice that I wrote we and not I? That is because my wonderful husband helped me! By help I mean that he touched all the yucky parts and disposed of the yucky parts... Basically I just picked the recipe :) It turned out great and looked beautiful too but I forgot to snap a picture before we cut into it. Roast chicken will definitely be on our menu from now on so I will take a picture next time I make it!
The recipe from an old Martha Stewart magazine. I added a bag of baby carrots and more onions so the recipe below reflects my additions.
Roast Chicken
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 Whole Chicken (about 6lbs)
2 T Butter
Salt and Pepper
1 Lemon
3 Large Garlic Cloves
4 Sprigs Fresh Thyme, plus more for garnish
6 Onions, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch this slices and then separated into rings
1 Bag Baby Carrots
1. Let chicken and butter stand at room temp. for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove plastic pop up timer and other gross stuff from the inside of the chicken, discard. Tuck the wing tips under the body (to prevent them from burning). Generously season the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Place the palm of your hand on top of the lemon and pressing down roll it back and forth on a hard surface several times. Pierce the entire surface of the lemon with a knife. Using the large side of a knife gently press on the garlic cloves to open slightly. Insert Lemon, Garlic, and Thyme into the chicken cavity.
3. Spread your onion rings and carrots all over the bottom of a roasting pan. Place the chicken on top. Tie the chicken legs together with kitchen twine.
4. Spread the entire surface of the chicken with the softened butter. Season generously with salt and pepper.
5. Roast until skin is crisp and deep golden brown and the juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork about 1 1/2 hours. Insert and instant read thermometer into the breast, then the thigh. Chicken is ready when the breast or thigh reaches 165 degrees. Garnish with thyme sprigs.
The onions got all caramelized and cooked down so that they practically disintegrate in your mouth. They were so good! The carrots we also delicious! This is definitely going to become a Ronk family regular especially since I have just enough chicken left over to make
Southwest Soup tomorrow!