Monday, 2017 January 02

The older I've gotten, the more fond I've become of roasting whole chickens. I've made many different variations over the years. One of my recurring favorites is a relatively faithful rendition of Bon Appetit's Pimenton Roast Chickens with Crispy Potatoes.

I only made one chicken; my wife was out of town and, while I can eat half a chicken by myself, I already had enough leftovers in the fridge that I didn't need more than two meals. I had intended to season the bird the night before but forgot, so I did it first thing in the morning (while being observed by the fearless neighborhood raccoons).

Ingredients

Seasoning Rub

Chicken

Veggies

If you have other hearty vegetables that will hold up to being baked in the oven, feel free to toss them in.

The Morning Of

  1. Mix all of the seasoning ingredients into a paste in a small bowl. Spread it all over the exterior of the chicken. I apply it thicker on the breast and legs, thinner on the wings and back.
  2. Place the thyme bunch in the cavity.
  3. Place the bird in a fridge, on a plate but uncovered.

One Hundred and Thirty Five Minutes Before Serving

Remove chicken from fridge.

Seventy Five Minutes Before Serving

  1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
  2. While oven preheats, trim Brussels sprouts, cut potatoes into thick wedges, and otherwise prepare the veggies. Throw these in the bottom of a large Dutch oven, then add olive oil and salt and pepper. Toss them to coat. Place the chicken on top.
  3. Roast for approximately 45 minutes; start checking the temperature at 35 minutes. If you're feeling ambitious, halfway through lift the chicken and stir the veggies to encourage even cooking.
  4. Remove from oven and let rest for ten minutes.

I missed a step in the original recipe - I was supposed to reduce the oven heat to 425 after 30 minutes. Since I didn't do that, the seasoning charred a little more than I would have liked. Still, this was absolutely delicious.

Sunday, 2017 January 01 Saturday, 2018 April 14