Ingredients for Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Chicken-recipe on Foodtv.com
1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
Olive oil
The play by play:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Remove the chicken giblets.
Rinse the chicken inside and out.
Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry.
Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic.
Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.
Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.
Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh.
Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.
My own 2 cents:
1) As a side note, I used a 3.5 pound chicken to feed 2 hungry adults. Due to the smaller bird and smaller cavity, I used half the head of garlic and half the lemon. I sliced up the lemon and added it into the toasting pan. This size bird took one hour to cook at same temp.
2) To avoid another pan, I added 1 pound of red potatoes cut in bite size pieces in with the carrots, onions, and fennel.
3) About 1/2 way trough your cooking time, splash about 1/2 cup-1 cup stock over the veg. It is well worth it. A gravy forms during cooking with no extra work.
4) when the bird is done, tent with foil on a carving board and put the roasting pan with the veg back in the oven to crisp up.
Thank you Ina for another great building block that I can use for a lifetime!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Carlton Ave,Brooklyn,United States
