Robin’s Roast Chicken

How do you describe the smell of roast chicken when you walk in the door on a cold day?  Mouthwatering?  Delicious?  Like Grandma’s house?

Roast chicken accompanied by a pan of oven roasted vegetables is a heavenly meal by itself.  But that is only the starting point–a gateway to endless possibilities.  Imagine, paying for one free range chicken and enjoying 3 or 4 full meals, each one easy to prepare because you already have the basic ingredient.

“Sure,” you say.  “Like I have all the time in the world to bake a chicken.”  Well, with a little organization, you probably do.

Over the years I have tried all sorts of ways to cook a whole chicken.  After all, I am a chicken farmer, right?  Some require you to be at home for hours.  Some, result in meat that is rather stringy and tasteless.  For help, I followed the advice of a more seasoned chicken farmer (pun intended).  Her method became my hands-down favorite.  The finished product is juicy, delicious, and is so easy to prepare.

In addition to a whole chicken, you will need:  salt; pepper; 1-2 tsp. crushed   thyme; a quartered lemon; a couple of stalks of celery; a small quartered onion; and 2 tablespoons of softened butter or olive oil.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  While it is heating, massage the outside of the chicken with half of the oil or butter and put the rest inside the cavity.  Liberally sprinkle salt, pepper, and the crushed thyme–again, inside and out–and stuff the lemon, celery and onion into the bird.

Place your prepared chicken into your favorite roasting pan.  Mine is a cast iron dutch oven but I have also used a glass baking pan and even a cookie sheet.  When the oven is ready, roast the chicken, uncovered, for 40 – 45 minutes, or until nicely browned.

Now, turn your oven completely off and leave your bird inside for another 2 hours.  Don’t even think about opening that door yet.  What you have created is a giant crock pot.  The meat will continue to cook but at a slower pace while the golden crust seals in all the juices.  After the 2 hours, check the meat closest to the bone (the thigh, leg, and breast).  When finished, the juices should run clear.  At this point, I usually take the pan out, discard the lemon and vegetables, and cover it with foil–or in my case, the pan’s lid–and let it rest until I am ready to serve.  If I am trying to keep it warm, I just leave my covered pan in the oven.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking?  I have this clever device on my oven called a “Time Bake” feature.  I can set it to start and stop whenever I want.  That means, I can prep my chicken in the morning…I have done this before church…and it will be finished and waiting when we get home.  If you don’t have such a feature, just start the process while you are at home and during those last 2 hours, go about your day.  As Ima Gardner says, “How easy is that?”

After you and yours have feasted on this savory roasted bird, what’s next?  I’m afraid you will have to come back for that answer.  Throughout the year, I will share some of my favorite recipes in a once-a-month series called, “Leftover Chicken?”

As for filling your freezer with Love Led Farm chicken, watch for future announcements.  Soon you will be able to preorder from this summer’s flocks.  In the meantime, I still have a few smaller birds from September.  If you would like one, just let me know.