Hi friends! I have so many things to share with you and I’m not sure if I can wait.
We have been getting some awesome goods from a local farm. This week a beautiful chicken, along with a big bag of produce, was waiting on our doorstep when Mr. Hash left for work. The Black Hog Farm fairy came while we were resting, YAY!
I’m always so excited to see what produce we get. Baby Hash loves her fruits veggies somethin’ fierce so I was pleased to see some peaches, pears, okra, and snow peas which will all be new to her tiny taste buds. We have followed the Baby Led Weaning approach to feeding Baby Hash since she started solids. It has been so great for our wee one. She eats what we eat sans salt. When I make myself and Mr. Hash a salad she gets the the protein, veggies, and fruits. When I make dinner I keep aside a portion without salt and then salt the rest for us, which has been a difficult task for me because I usually salt in stages as I cook.
Back to the Best Roast Chicken ever! Mr. Hash and I LOVE roast chicken and really, whats not to love!? Crispy golden skin, juicy meat, the most flavorful roasted veggies ever, AND when not GF or Whole30-ing (it’s a verb in our house, haha) chicken bread is absolutely amazing! I have to thank Ina Garten and Dorie Greenspan for their roast chicken inspiration. Ina has a fabulous Perfect Roast Chicken recipe that I have used for years and Dorie’s recipe for Roast Chicken for Les Paresseux calls for a few thick slices of crusty bread for your bird to rest upon as it roasts, the bread soaks up the juices and fat as the roasting magic happens which caramelizes the bread into one of the most decadent savory treats. You’ve gotta try it!
We had a Whole30 compliant version of this recipe and I was so happy with the results. Between the bacon grease and the great quality chicken from BHF it was the best roast chicken I’ve ever made and I won’t go back. Well, with the exception of chicken bread!
Ingredients
for the bird:
- 1 whole chicken, 4-5 lbs
- 1 lemon, halved, one half halved, one half sliced if not using bread
- 1 whole bulb of garlic, sliced horizontally
- 1 bunch fresh thyme or oregano, divided (can sub 2 Tbsp dried)
- crusty bread, sliced 1 in thick, as many slices as you need to make a comfy bed for your bird
- 2 Tbsp bacon grease
- 2 Tbsp ghee or clarified butter (can use butter if not Whole30 or strict Paleo)
- kosher salt
- black pepper, freshly ground
- cooking twine
for the veggies:
- 1 onion, cut into 2 in chunks
- 2 carrots, cut into 1 in slices
- 4 medium red skin or gold potatoes, quartered
- 1 bulb garlic, broken down, cloves peeled
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp fresh thyme or oregano leaves, stems removed (1 Tbsp if using dried herbs)
- kosher salt
- black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
get ready:
- Ensure top oven rack is in the lower middle position.
- Preheat oven to 375
- Grease a roasting dish with olive oil, butter, or ghee
- Place either lemon slices or bread slices in the center of your roasting dish creating a nice bed for your bird to rest upon, set aside
for the bird:
- If desired, rinse bird inside and out, ensure there are no spare parts inside, and pat dry.
- Season the inner cavity of your bird with salt and pepper.
- Stuff your bird with 1 lemon quarter, 1 garlic half, 1/2 bunch of thyme or oregano (or 1 Tbsp if using dried herbs), other half of garlic, and ending with another lemon quarter.
- Tie that birds legs closed with cooking twine.
- Place your bird on its bed of lemon or bread.
- Season the outside of your bird with salt and pepper.
- Heat the bacon grease and ghee/butter together until just melted but not hot.
- Using a silicone or pastry brush, brush the grease/butter concoction all over your bird.
- Now that your bird is ready for some company, add veggies (instructions below) to your roasting dish, evenly distributing them around your bird. It's cool if they touch the bird, groupies tend to do that.
- Place the roasting dish in the oven (the top rack should be in the lower middle position.)
- Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until internal temp (check between the leg and thigh ensuring to stay away from the bone) reaches 160.
for the veggies:
- In a large bowl add onion, carrots, potatoes, and garlic.
- Add olive oil and toss veggies with your hands ensuring they are all nice and glossy.
- Season with herbs, salt and pepper. Toss to ensure herbs are oiled up as well.
- Set aside until your bird is ready for some company.