whole roasted lemon herb chicken & fennel
A whole roasted chicken can stretch far. After roasting and enjoying your favorite cuts right away, the leftover meat can be used in soups, stews, or chicken salad. Additionally the carcass can be used for stock. This method will render a small chicken blissfully tender and juicy.
Instructions:
I promise, this chicken will be just as juicy and tender as a store bought rotisserie chicken. The herby aromatics will also be infused into the meat which compliments the tart and sweet vegetables.
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 450° F.
- Start by quartering the onion and fennel and arranging them at the bottom of a cast iron skillet.
- Prep the aromatics into a small bundle; thyme, rosemary and sage. Half the lemon. One half will be used in the chicken and one will be used later.
- Open the completely defrosted chicken. Drain any blood. Pull out any giblets hiding in the front or back cavity. You can save them for stock or gravy.
- It’s important to thoroughly dry the chicken. Pat it down with paper towels, inside and out. The inside cavity should be as dry as possible.
- Stuff the cavity with the halved lemon and aromatic bundle.
- Drizzle some olive oil over the outside of the bird. Use your clean hands to rub it all over, into the nooks and crannies. Generously sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper.
- Place the chicken on top of the vegetables in the skillet. Add a bit of white wine to the skillet. This will help flavor everything and keep the meat juicy.
- Place the chicken in the preheated oven.
- Cook for about an hour, until a meat thermometer reads 165°F. At around 40 minutes the chicken skin will be golden brown. At this time take out the skillet, tent the bid with a piece of foil and add a bit more white wine. Tenting will keep the chicken cooking, but stop the skin from burning.
- At an hour, check the chicken temperature. If it needs more time, add some more wine and cook it longer. Check it at 10 minute intervals. Add more wine whenever it has evaporated.
- When the chicken is up to temperature, take it out of the skillet and place it on a plate covered with foil. Allow it to rest.
- Place the skillet over a low heat. The vegetables should be beautifully browned. Use the juice from the other half of the lemon to deglaze the pan a bit. Keep them warm while you carve the bird.
- Really there’s no pretty way of getting all the meat off a chicken. Just drive right in. Start by carving the breasts, but soon enough you’ll just be pulling off the tender meat with your hands. Any juice that collects on the plate during this time should be transferred to the skillet to add to the vegetable. Note: If the juices are pink and cloudy and not clear, the chicken isn’t fully cooked. Return it to the oven.
- Plate up the veggies and some choice pieces of chicken, topped with the delicious pan juices.
- Some shaved parmesan pairs nicely with the lemon and fennel flavors.
I promise, this chicken will be just as juicy and tender as a store bought rotisserie chicken. The herby aromatics will also be infused into the meat which compliments the tart and sweet vegetables.