Garlic Roasted Chicken on Root Vegetables

Recently I went over to a friends house. While we were chatting in the kitchen, she roasted a chicken. As we kept chatting, the chicken finished roasting and she then carved it up. All of a sudden I said, "you just roasted a chicken while we talked". My humble friend said, "well yes, it's really easy Kari" (or something like that).

Since I began eating meat again last spring, I have been relying heavily on my crockpot.  Roasting something in the oven really scared me, like it would explode or something. As I am not a big fan of following recipes, those also scared me when it came to roasting meat. Now I am asking myself why? It is really easy! 

I asked my friend what her recipe and method were for roasting a chicken. It basically came down to this: 

1. Mix together a couple tablespoons of your favorite herbs and salt with butter or olive oil. 

2. Generously spread it under the skin and on top of the skin.

3. Roast it in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for approximately 2 hours, checking to see if it is done around 1-1/2 hours, then every 20-30 minutes after that. 

4. Baste frequently.

5. Eat!

Now, I know all you meat cooking pros are saying,"yup, it is that easy". But to me it was an epiphany! Now I can not get enough of roasting chickens, and pork shoulders also. 

Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside!

My favorite part!

Here is my new favorite roast chicken recipe. What really makes the meal delicious is the addition of the vegetables that continue to roast in the chicken fat after the chicken is done. I roast the chicken and vegetables in my old lasagne pan. I was excited to find a new use for it as I no longer make lasagna in it!

Garlic Roasted Chicken on Root Vegetables

Ingredients:

3 Large (or 6 smaller) cloves of garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons Bouquet Garni

1 Teaspoon ancho chili pepper ground

1 Teaspoon sea salt

3-4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

-Mix into a paste

5 lb. Chicken

2 Pounds of mixed root vegetables, roughly chopped

1 cup chopped onion (optional)

Lemon pepper (optional)

Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

-Chop up the mixed root vegetables, I like to use potatoes and carrots. Put into large roasting pan. Drizzle with a little olive oil and mix. I do this so that the veggies have a little moisture and do not stick. You don't need to use too much because there will eventually be plenty of juices and fat from the chicken.

-Take any extra parts out of the chicken cavity and put into roasting pan (or dispose of, but they do add flavor) rinse and dry off chicken.

-Mix the paste together and spread under the skin and on top of the skin. I like to also grind a little lemon pepper all over the chicken after I use up the paste.

-Set breast side down right on top of the vegetables, or my favorite thing to do is to set it on a rack so that the skin gets crispy and the chicken juices drip down on to the vegetables.

-Roast for 30 minutes, then take out and baste. 

-Continue to cook for 30 minutes, basting every 15-20 minutes.

-After 1 hour, if you are using a rack, turn over so that the breast side is up and the chicken skin can continue to crisp on the breast side. 

-Continue to roast, basting every 15-20 minutes.

-At 1-1/2 hours, check the temperture of the chicken thighs (or you can also see if the juices run clear, but I like to check the temperature). If it reaches 160 degrees, you are done! If not, put it back into the oven and continue roasting and basting, checking at 2 hours. 

-If you are using a 5 pound chicken, and your oven temperature is correct, it should take just about 2 hours.

-After the chicken is done, take it out of the pan and let it rest.  Turn the temperature up to 450 degrees. 

-Pour off some of the chicken juices into a bowl, reserve them. Leave just enough of the juices and fat in the pan to coat the vegetables. Mix the vegetables up in the pan juices, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put back into the oven and roast for approximately 20-30 minutes more, or until they are cooked the way you like them (we like them browned and crispy). I like to mix them once or twice in that 30 minutes. 

-Once the chicken has cooled down, I like to take the meat off the bones and throw the bones into the crockpot to make bone broth (or the freezer if I do not have time).

-I then like to pour the reserved chicken juices back over the chicken, delicious! You could also make a gravy if you are so inclined.