Roasted chicken
December 19, 2007
As 2007 comes to a close, I can’t help but wonder what’s in store for the coming year. For whatever reason, a lot of us believe that as one year ends and another begins, there are opportunities for change in your life. It’s just time moving on, after all. Nevertheless, the beginning of a new year gives us all a good excuse to begin changing our lives for the better.
2007 has been such a whirlwind, with many ups and downs. We’ve watched our daughter grow into an independent and fiesty toddler (and potty-trained thank God). Friends have given birth, and relatives have passed away. We’ve experienced the aftermath of a major remodeling project, mostly for the better, but not without its challenges. People close to us have been married, others have separated, and through it all, we get up each morning, struggle through work, and come home to nourish our bodies.
Sometimes we do this with food. Other times the beer and wine will do just fine.
My number one choice for nourishment when the weather’s cold and work stinks? Roasted Chicken. It’s easy, it’s good for your body, and it’s really good for your soul. So if you want to make a resolution that’s easy to keep, promise yourself that you’ll roast your own chicken once a week for the rest of the winter months. You won’t be sorry.
I have an easy recipe that I use every time, but there are lots of ways to roast a chicken. I do recommend a heavy roaster with a rack. And in my photos, my veggies aren’t chopped up, but I would suggest quartering the potatoes and onions and cutting the carrots to 2-inch pieces. I also used shallots instead of onions.
Roasted Chicken
1 3-4 lb. chicken (giblets and livers removed)
2-3 carrots, sliced in 2-inch pieces
4 potatoes, quartered
2 onions, halved
3 celery stalks, sliced as the carrots
1 lemon
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 T. melted butter
Salt & pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Place chicken breast side up on rack in roasting pan. Slice the lemon in half, then chop one half into small slices. Place lemon with thyme sprigs in the cavity of the chicken.
Drizzle or brush the chicken with melted butter. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt & pepper on top of the bird. Arrange potatoes, carrots, celery and onions around the pan (either on the rack or on the bottom of the pan).
Roast at 375 for 90 minutes or so, depending on size of chicken. To check for doneness, I usually tip the rack to one side and see if the juices that run out are clear. You can also use a meat thermometer. This feeds 2-4, depending on the number of veggies used.
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