Wednesday Roast Chicken
This is the kind of home cooked one-dish meal that’s perfect when you’ve had ‘one of those days.’ Super juicy and tender roast chicken sitting atop vegetables that have roasted in all that schmaltz and ready in 45 minutes. Full of citrus flavor with orange and coriander and the hint of rosemary—it’s always a winner at my dinner table. Also, no brining, no basting, nothing extra. It’s as simple as throwing everything on a sheet pan and roasting. My secret to a quick cook is to flatten the chicken which cuts down the cook time by more than half (also all the skin faces up and gets crispy and burnished). Unlike spatchcocking a chicken where you cut out the backbone and butterfly the bird, I cut below the breast on each side from the cavity toward the neck and unfold it like a hinge. No deboning that backbone—it gets roasted along with the rest of the chicken and will impart amazing flavor in your homemade stock. I always keep a large Ziploc in the freezer that I add chicken bones to, as well as tops of leeks or parsley that’s about to go south, and when the bag is full I know I’m ready to make stock.
I’ve been making this recipe for years and it’s never failed me once. It’s also super versatile—feel free to change up the oranges for lemons, change up the vegetables with whatever’s in your pantry, swap out coriander for herbs de Provence—you do you. One tip—anything that’s prone to burning, like herbs—make sure to place the chicken on top of them.
Serve with a loaf of crusty bread and a glass of wine (cause you made it through Wednesday, amirite?) and exhale.
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
1 3-4½ lb. organic chicken, giblets removed
2 oranges, sliced
1 bunch carrots (approximately 5), large ones cut in half lengthwise
3-4 parsnips, larger ones cut in half or quartered lengthwise
1 onion, cut into large pieces
6 garlic cloves, smashed
1 sweet potato, cut into large cubes
4 red potatoes, cut into large cubes
3 rosemary sprigs, plus more for garnish
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp coriander
2 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
METHOD
Preheat oven to 425F and adjust rack to lower third of the oven.
Arrange oranges, carrots, parsnips, onion, garlic, rosemary, sweet potato and red potato on a half sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with kosher salt and black pepper and gently toss to evenly coat. Lay rosemary in the center, then set aside.
Lay chicken down on a cutting board breast side up. Using kitchen shears, start from the cavity opening and cut below the breast (just above the legs) from the cavity toward the front of the chicken (you’ll be cutting parallel to your countertop). Repeat on the other side and open the chicken like a book. Turn over so skin side is up and use the palm of your hand on top of the breast (where the chicken has hinged) to flatten firmly. Pat thoroughly with paper towel. Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides and transfer, skin side up, to sheet pan. Sprinkle skin side with coriander, then use your hands to spread butter on skin side (this is messy, but your hands are the best tools for this).
Roast in the lower third of oven for 45 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 160F in the thickest part of the breast. Let rest 10 minutes, then carve. To serve, arrange platter with vegetables and orange, then arrange chicken atop. Drizzle with some pan juices, garnish with rosemary sprigs, and serve.