Ingredients
1
3 1/2 pound whole broiler chicken*
Salt and ground black pepper
3
cups assorted vegetables such as carrots, celery, onions, parsnips, beets, or other root vegetables
2
tablespoons softened butter
2
cups chicken broth
Directions
Rinse the chicken; thoroughly pat it dry, inside and out with paper towels. Chill, uncovered, overnight in refrigerator.
Place rack in bottom third of oven. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Gently run your fingers between the skin and breast meat. Sprinkle salt and pepper over top of skin.
Tuck wings under breast. Loop a long piece of kitchen string around drumsticks in a figure-eight patter; pull tight. Pull string up around thighs and breast; tie at neck. Place chicken, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Toss vegetables with butter. Place in pan around chicken.
Roast chicken for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 375 degrees F. Roast for 40 to 60 minutes or until drumsticks move easily in sockets, chicken is no longer pink inside, and a thermometer inserted into center of an inside thigh muscle registers 175 degrees F. Remove chicken from oven. Cover; let stand at least 5 minutes. Transfer chicken and vegetables to serving platter.
For pan sauce, place roasting pan over burner on stovetop; stir in chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits in pan. Bring to boiling; boil gently until reduced by about half. Serve pan sauce with chicken.
From the Test Kitchen
*
Start with a quality chicken, such as an organic, free-range bird from D'Artagnan. A chicken that is raised well will reward you with great flavor, firm, tender meat and the confidence that your body is ingesting nothing but wholesome nutrients.
LEMON HERB-STUFFED CHICKEN
Stuff chicken cavity with 2 to 3 lemon wedges, 1/3 to 1/2 cup snipped fresh herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano and/or parsley) and 2 halved garlic cloves. Finish pan sauce with 1/2 teaspoon herbs de Provence.
SPICE-RUBBED
Place 1/4 cup (1/4 ounce) dried porcini mushrooms in a blender or spice grinder; cover and blend until a powder forms. In a small bowl combine 1 Tbsp. porcini powder and 1 Tbsp. chili powder. Before trussing, rub 2 Tbsp. of the mixture all over chicken skin and sprinkle in chicken cavity. Finish pan juices with 1 tsp. spice mixture and store remaining spice mixture.
Nutrition analysis per serving: 239 calories, 33 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 92 mg cholesterol, 8 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 2 g fiber, 3 g total sugar, 212% Vitamin A, 6% Vitamin C, 356 mg sodium, 4% calcium, 10% iron
ROASTED GARLIC BUTTER:
Cut off top half of garlic bulb, leaving bulb whole; remove any loose outer layers. Place in a custard cup; drizzle with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Wrap with foil. Roast in a 400 degrees F oven 25 minutes or until soft. Cool. Squeeze out garlic cloves; mash into 1/4 cup softened butter. Before trussing, gently rub 2 Tbsp. under chicken skin. Chill remaining butter.
Nutrition analysis per serving; 268 calories, 33 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate, 12 g total fat (5 g sat. fat), 102 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 3 g total sugar, 207% Vitamin A, 6% Vitamin C, 334 mg sodium, 3% calcium, 8% iron
Tags:
chicken