Farm Share Mania!

We are continuing our Farm Share right through the winter which means lots and lots of root vegetables lately!  My favorite use for root vegetables is to roast a whole chicken over them.  I use whatever vegetables I have on hand from onions, carrots, potatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, celery root, rutabaga, parsnips, or turnip. 

In the past I might have stayed away from a recipe that involved so many ingredients but it really is simple!  The whole thing can be prepped in 30 minutes and then dinner is in the oven so you can do other things while it cooks. 

Invite your friends over because this dish makes a serious amount of food!  You could certainly buy a smaller chicken and adjust the number of veggies if you are dining alone. 

My favorite part of roasting a whole chicken is the leftovers!  I love using the breast for chicken sandwiches and will also be using some leftover chicken for quesadillas later this week!

Whole Roasted Chicken on a Bed of Root Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken

6 cloves garlic, smashed

6 fresh thyme sprigs

salt and pepper

1 rutabaga

1 turnip

3 parsnips

1 large sweet potato

2 small onions

12 small red or yellow potatoes

olive oil

4 tablespoons of butter

Preparation:

1. ***For crispy skin, leave the chicken uncovered in the fridge for 24-48 hours.  Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 2 hours before roasting to bring it to room temperature.*** 

2. Preheat oven to 500F.

3. Cut vegetables into medium-sized pieces of about 3/4 to 1 inch. 

4. Place cut vegetables in roasting pan and drizzle to coat with olive oil (about 1/4 cup).  Add 3-4 cloves of smashed garlic and 2-3 fresh thyme sprigs.  Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and toss to coat. 

5. Place whole chicken in roasting pan on top of veggies.  Rub outside of chicken with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.  Place 2-3 cloves of smashed garlic and 3-4 fresh thyme sprigs inside the cavity.  (If you prefer you can truss the chicken.  I haven’t found any reason to truss.)

6. Add pats of butter over the breast for flavor and roast at 500F for 30 minutes. 

7. Lower the temperature to 425F and roast for 45 more minutes.   

8. Check the internal temperature of the chicken.  When it reaches 160F remove from the oven.

9.  Cover with foil and allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving.  

10.  Carve the chicken and then gentle stir the vegetables around to coat them with all the juices from roasting.

11.  Serve and enjoy!