Lemon And Herb Roasted Chicken With Root Vegetables

It rained all of last week and, for San Diego, that is pretty much unheard of. However, we welcomed the rain because our city totally needs it. One thing about rainy, cold weather is that it makes me want to use the oven! I went to Trader Joe's and saw they had a great selection of organic, free range and some cage free, hormone free roasting chickens. I bought a smallish, 4 pounder, but that was enough for me and Stella (and a little for Lilu, our dog, too!). 

This was my first roasted chicken ever and I have to say it came out pretty fabulous. I know it seems there's lots of salt, but I read in many recipes you have to really season the chicken inside and out well in order to give it extraordinary flavor. I was also very surprised how juicy and succulent the chicken was after roasting. I am definitely making this recipe again! 

INGREDIENTS (serves 4 to 6)

• 1 (4 to 5-pound) free range chicken
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• 1/4 bunch each fresh thyme, rosemary and parsley (reserve a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary for the vegetables)
• 2 lemons, cut in quarters (reserve 1 teaspoon of lemon juice for the herbed butter)
• 1 head of garlic, cut in 1/2 crosswise
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 teaspoons of fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 11/2 pounds mixture of 1" cut carrots, parsnips, red new potatoes, and red onions

DIRECTIONS 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside and inside dry.

Generously season the cavity with salt and pepper, drizzle a little olive oil in there and then stuff the lemon, garlic, and herbs inside. Tie the legs of the chicken together with kitchen twine to help hold its shape (I used tin foil).

Make the herbed butter: mix the 2 tablespoons softened butter with 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon each chopped fresh thyme and rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and mash it with a fork or spoon until it's all well combined. Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the chicken breast and slip the remaining seasoned butter under, massaging the breast meat as you go.

In roasting pan or large baking pan, toss the carrots, parsnips, potatoes and onions with 3 peeled garlic cloves, a few good globs of olive oil, salt and pepper and reserved sprigs of thyme and fresh rosemary. Place the chicken, breast-side up, in a roasting pan (if you're using a baking pan like I did, place the chicken on top of the vegetables). Season the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

Roast the chicken and vegetables for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Don't forget to baste the chicken with the drippings and rotate the pan every 20 minutes or so to insure a golden crispy skin. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer says 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (the legs of the chicken should wiggle easily from the sockets too.) Remove the chicken to a platter and let stand for 10 minutes, so the juices settle back into the meat before carving. Serve with the roasted vegetables on the side.

Rosemary Roasted Jidori Chicken

I've been noticing several restaurants here in San Diego now offer "Jidori Chicken" in their menus, and for a while I thought Jidori was a method of cooking, but later I found out it was a type of chicken. Basically, Jidori is a Japanese term meaning "chicken of the Earth." These chickens are fresh, all-natural, no hormones, free range and the chickens eat the best feed. Jidori chickens are apparently so fresh that some Japanese restaurants even serve them sashimi-style...yes raw!

We went to the Prado a couple of weeks ago with my parents and I ordered the Rosemary Jidori chicken. It was moist, perfectly roasted and perfectly seasoned. It was served with garlic mashed potatoes, sauteed spinach and perfectly sauteed mushrooms. The dish is under $20 and I recommend it. We had a nice sauvignon blanc to go with the chicken and it worked wonderfully, although a lighter pinot noir would have been good, too.

I've been looking for Jidori chicken recipes, but it's very difficult to find one. Also, it's almost impossible for a consumer to buy fresh Jidori chicken here in San Diego, unless you're a restaurant owner. So, if you're lucky, buy one and roast it. Below is a simple yet classic recipe for rosemary chicken.

INGREDIENTS (4 servings)

• 2 young chickens, about 2 to 3 pounds each
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 or 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 1 1/2 lemons, cut into chunks

Seasoned Salt

• 2 tablespoons very finely minced lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons sea salt, preferably gray salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F if you have no convection fan, or to 425 degrees F if you have a convection fan.

Rinse the chickens inside and out and dry well.

Make the salt: In a bowl, combine the lemon zest, rosemary, salt, and pepper, mixing well. Rub the chicken all over with the olive oil, and then rub with 3 tablespoons of the seasoned salt. (Reserve the remaining salt for another use.) Tuck the rosemary sprigs and lemon chunks into the chicken cavity. You don't need to truss the chicken.

Place the birds on a rack in a roasting pan and roast for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature by 75 degrees F and continue roasting until the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced with a skewer, about 50 to 55 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a platter and let rest for at least 10 minutes before carving.

Lemon and Sage Roasted Chicken

Sometimes when I go to sleep, I start thinking up of food to cook, how to cook it and how to season it. I wanted to make a sage roasted chicken that was juicy. I usually don't have good luck roasting chicken because it tends to dry out on me, especially the breast part. So, instead, I brined my chicken overnight (this was the first time I've ever done this) and left the skin on to make my chicken even more flavorful. The recipe below is just for one chicken breast half, enough for one person.

INGREDIENTS

Brine

• 1 Chicken breast half, bone-in and with skin left on (but trim any excess fat)
• 2 Tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire
• 1 teaspoon McCormick Montreal seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Cold Water

DIRECTIONS

You will need a plastic container with an air-tight lid that is large enough for chicken. Place 1 cup water and all the ingredients, except chicken. With your fingers or spoon, stir for a few seconds. Add the chicken and then add more water until chicken is completely submerged in the brine. Cover with an air-tight lid and place in the refrigerator over night.

Lemon and Sage Roasted Chicken

• 2 large fresh Sage leaves
• 2 thin lemon slices
• 2 Tablespoons butter, divided
• Fresh, ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375.

Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with a paper towel. Discard brine.

Run your fingers gently under the chicken skin and separate, but don't separate all the way. Place 2 slices of lemon and 2 leaves of sage and one tablespoon of butter under the skin. Rub the remaining butter all over the chicken and grind some fresh black pepper over it. Place the chicken in a baking sheet and bake, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes, or until juices run clear (I have a convection oven, so it took me half an hour).

Remove chicken and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. A nice side of collard greens with bacon would be phenomenal with this dish.

Best Pot Roast

I'm not one to brag, but last night I made the best pot roast ever. Actually, it took pretty much all day for the roast to cook in a low oven, so this is a perfect meal to make on a lazy Sunday. I got the recipe from Barefoot Contessa's cookbook, Parties! I cut the recipe in half and I only modified it a little, but it was absolutely delish. My husband even had seconds! Thanks, Contessa!

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

• 3 to 3 1/2 lb. pot roast or brisket (not corned beef), washed and patted dry
• 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• About 1 cup flour for dredging
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2" chunks
• 3 stalks celery, cut into 2" chunks
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 3 dried bay leaves (or fresh if you have them)
• 1 (28oz) can of tomato juice

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, mix the salt, black pepper, garlic and dried oregano. Rub all of this mixture all over the roast. Cover tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for an hour.

Preheat oven to 350.

Unwrap the roast and sprinkle the flour all over the roast; patting away any excess. Place your Dutch oven or heavy roasting pan over the burner and heat to medium-high. Add 2 teaspoons vegetable oil. When hot, add the roast and sear for 2 - 3 minutes. Turn roast over and sear for another 2 - 3 minutes. You want a light golden crust on the roast. Immediately remove roast from pan and set aside; turn heat off.

To the pan add the carrots, celery, onions, paprika and bay leaves.Place the seared roast on top of the veggies. Pour the can of tomato juice and cover tightly with lid (for Dutch oven). If using a roasting pan, cover the top with plastic wrap first then cover with aluminum foil (the foil doesn't react well with tomato juice).

Bake for 3 1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Remove about half of the tomato sauce, including the veggies, from roast and add it to your blender (make sure there are no bay leaves). Puree for about a minute. Pass mixture through a sieve. Place sauce in a pan and bring to a simmer. In the meantime, slice meat across the grain. Add the slices to the simmering sauce just to heat through. Serve slices of meat with some of the sauce. I served roasted garlic new potatoes on the side and it was out of this world!