There are few things in the world more comforting than roasted chicken and vegetables. Yes, we normally associate chicken soup with comfort food, but really, chicken soup should be for stomach flu, head colds and Hanukkah. Roasted chicken, on the other hand, is for emotional angst, generic ennui and Monday nights. Sadly, now that every grocery store sells rotisserie chickens in zillions of flavors, there is little chance that American cooks will resurrect the simple art of roasting a whole chicken at home. That's a shame, because although store-bought chickens may taste OK (in a salty, seasoning-packet way), buying the chicken already cooked means you miss out on half of the fun.
Allow me to rephrase a major point of last week's meatloaf manifesto: Right now my heater is on full blast and it is not cooking my dinner. Nor is that leaking, creaking piece of crap
distributing the aroma of caramelizing carrots through my house's dusty ducts. Nor is it pleasing my ears with the pops and sizzles of bursting polyps of chicken fat hitting the hot oven walls. Those notable failures, combined with my distinct impression that the furnace actually uses crisp dollar bills, not gas, as fuel, make me more than inclined to do a few jumping jacks, drink another cup of hot tea and run (yes, run) to the store for a chicken and a bag of parsnips.
But before I put on my sneakers, please let me whine a moment about the fussy squeamishness of restaurant chefs, who tend to view roasted chicken as too boring and too homey for a white tablecloth setting. After all, eating roasted chicken does often involve picking up a bone and doing a little gnawing, something they think people don't like to do in public. Personally, I like to see people eat with their hands when they're not supposed to. It's earthy and sexy, just like this chicken.
Do you have to slather the chicken all over with butter? Do you have to toss the vegetables with olive oil? And do you have to go out and buy some special European high-fat butter to spread on the crusty bread? Well…no…if you hate life and you hate yourself and you don't think you deserve a really good meal every once in a while! Look, tell yourself you'll eat nothing but spirulina shakes and egg white omelets for the rest of the week, but for just one night, eat this chicken: devour this crispy skin, these fat-glossed potatoes and this buttery bread. Then lie back on the couch, catch your breath and say, "Damn, that was good. Life is good."
Herb-Rubbed Roast Chicken with Vegetables and Crusty Bread
For this easy roast chicken you can use fresh rosemary, tarragon, marjoram, oregano or whatever you've got growing in your Chia Herb Garden. Dried herbs work fine, too, so feel free to substitute 2 tablespoons
herbes de Provence
, unsalted Italian seasoning mix or whatever and rub it between your fingers to release the stored oils. Yes, you can use olive oil instead of butter, but butter makes for a more golden, crispy skin.
Serves 2–4
1 (3- to 4-pound) chicken
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Juice of ½ lemon or lime
1½ pounds potatoes, parsnips and/or turnips, peeled and diced
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 loaf crusty bread
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Standing over the kitchen sink, remove the chicken from its plastic packaging. Stick your hand inside the cavity and pull out the giblets if they're in there. Save the giblets for making chicken stock or just toss them in the dog's bowl. My dog Riblet loves giblets!
Rinse the chicken inside and out with cold water, then pat it dry with paper towels. Sprinkle salt and freshly ground black pepper all over, inside and out.
In a small bowl, use a fork or your fingers to combine the fresh herbs, garlic, red pepper flakes and 2 tablespoons of the butter.
Use your hand to gently separate the chicken skin from the breast and thighs. Spread the herbed butter between the skin and the meat. Slather the remaining 1 tablespoon butter over the outside of the chicken.
In a large bowl, toss the diced potatoes, vegetables and onions with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and distribute the vegetables in the bottom of the pan.
Put the pan in the oven and roast for about 20 minutes, then stir the vegetables around a bit. Roast another 20 minutes, stir the vegetables and continue cooking another 20 minutes, or until the skin is golden-brown and the temperature of the thickest part of the thigh is 165 degrees.
Remove the chicken from the oven and tent it loosely with foil. Allow the meat to rest about 15 minutes before carving.
Meanwhile, heat the bread.
Serve with pan juices, vegetables, bread and extra butter.
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