Perfect Roasted Chicken and Root Vegetables

Submitted by Chicagoland Chef du Jour

"Every time I make this recipe for the family or guests they absolutely go nuts for it! It is incredibly moist and delicious! I hope you enjoy it as well. The recipe was inspired by Emeril Lagasse and tweaked to perfection by me. You can use a chicken ranging in weight from 3 1/2 to 7+pounds. Double the amount of the paste ingredients if you make the larger bird. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the chicken. Use as many root vegetables as you like. They can cook along with the chicken."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 20mins
• Ingredients: 21
• Serves: 4-6

ingredients

• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into thirds
• 1 celery rib, cut into thirds
• 1 medium onion, peeled and cut into half
• 1 (3 1/2-4 lb) whole chickens, rinsed and patted dry
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• white pepper
• 1 lemon, halved
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 1⁄2 cup dry white wine

• PASTE

• 6 garlic cloves, smashed, roughly chopped
• 4 sprigs rosemary, roughly chopped, substitute dried
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

• GRAVY

• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 -2 tablespoon cornstarch flour

• ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES

• 2 -3 carrots, large, peeled and cut into 3rds
• 2 parsnips, large, peeled and cut into 3rds
• 2 onions, large, peeled, cut into thick slices
• 2 -3 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt or sea salt

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 500°F.
2. You will need a 9 x 13-inch roasting pan with rack. Place roaster on the bottom most oven rack. Reserve the top rack for the roasted root vegetables.
3. Season the chicken both inside and out with the kosher salt and white pepper.
4. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, rosemary, olive oil and butter to make a paste.
5. Rub the chicken both inside and out with the garlic rosemary blend. Place chicken in the roasting pan on a rack to raise it out of the fatty drippings.
6. Pour 1 C water into the roasting pan, NOTE: watch to refill during first 30 minutes of roasting.
7. Squeeze the lemon halves over the chicken and place the rinds inside the cavity.
8. Place the bay leaves, 1 carrot halved, 1 stalk of celery halved and 1/2 onion in the cavity.
9. Pour 1/2 cup of wine inside the cavity.
10. Place the pan in the oven and roast the chicken uncovered at 500° for 30 minutes. Add water to the bottom of the roasting pan as needed. Drippings will burn & smoke!

11. In the mean time, prepare: Roasted Root Vegetables:

12. Combine root vegetables with olive oil, spread on a baking sheet, sprinkle wit salt and bake until chicken is done. They will be carmalized on the bottom.
13. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°, cover with foil tent and continue baking until the juices run clear. To test this, insert a thermometer in the thickest part of a breast meat. It should register at 160 degrees internal temperature.
14. Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before carving. Cover with a foil tent until ready to carve & serve.
15. Pour off excess fat from pan and return to heat. Whisk in 1 T flour or cornstarch, chicken stock, white wine, scraping up the bits on the bottom of pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Reduce gravy by half, until thickened. Strain if necessary.
16. Serve chicken with mashed potatoes & gravy on the side.