Citrus-Herb Roasted Chicken to Die For!

Is there anything better than the smell of a chicken roasting in the oven on a Sunday afternoon (or any afternoon for that matter)? Add carrots and potatoes and you have a one-skillet meal that’s easy to prepare and easy on the wallet as well! Here’s my version of this classic – guaranteed to come out moist and delicious every time!

Photo by Laurie Geis

My mom was a master in the kitchen with chicken – her fried chicken, always served with mashed potatoes and gravy along with baby peas, was a perineal favorite in our house. Her roast chicken was just as good, and I remember always looking forward to those dinners growing up. So, it’s not a surprise that my love of roast chicken has continued as I’ve grown older. I mastered this dish over the years by making Barefoot Contessa’s Perfect Roast Chicken recipe about 50 times – it’s the best roast chicken recipe I’ve ever tasted and truly does come out perfect every time (you can find it on-line or in her first cookbook, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, by Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter Publishers, 1999).

But I wanted to make my own version of this classic, so I riffed off of Barefoot Contessa’s recipe to make it my own, and even hopefully to improve on the masters’ version! First, I decided to incorporate a dry brine to make the chicken even more flavorful and moist and also to dry out the skin to ensure it came out of the oven golden and crisp. My wife Laurie doesn’t like the skin, so I religiously remove it for her when I’m slicing and serving the bird (the things we do for love, …!), but I crave that salty, crispy skin whenever I enjoy roast chicken!

Next, I added more citrus to the mix by using both lemons and limes instead of just lemons, and also added more herbs to deepen the flavor of the chicken. In addition, I made a citrus/herb butter that I then spread underneath the skin before cooking to amp up the moisture level of the flavor – the butter bastes the meat as it cooks and also helps to crisp the skin.

Adding carrots, potatoes, and onions to the skillet while roasting (something that Barfoot Contessa suggests in her recipe!) makes this the perfect one-skillet dinner for easy cleanup; and a quick gravy using the drippings from the chicken and vegetables brings everything together and integrates all the flavors on the plate. I like using a large cast iron skillet for this dish, but you can also use a roasting pan for similar results. Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think.

In next week’s blog post, I’ll share some ideas on what to do with the leftover chicken if you are cooking for two, or if you decide to roast two chickens at the same time!

Citrus-Herb Roast Chicken with Roasted Carrots and Potatoes

(Serves 4, or 2 with plenty of leftovers for the week)

This is an easy weeknight or weekend recipe that’s perfect regardless of the season (although I DO love making this dish in the fall and winter when we used to live in places with cold weather). You can cook two birds at the same time if you want leftovers for the week. I love pairing this with a nice Barbera or Sangiovese (think Chianti) from Italy – these classic red wines have softer fruit and moderate tannins which make them a perfect match for the herbs and earthy flavors of the caramelized roasted vegetables.

Ingredients

1 5-lb. roasting chicken (give or take half a pound)

2 tbsp. kosher salt, divided

2 tsp. fresh ground pepper, divided

10 cloves garlic

½ lemon, quartered, plus ½ tsp. grated lemon zest (grate the lemon before you cut it)

½ lime, quartered, plus ½ tsp. grated lime zest (grate the lime before you cut it)

1 large spring of rosemary, plus ½ tsp. finely chopped rosemary

3 sprigs thyme, plus ½ tsp. finely chopped thyme

3 sprigs oregano, plus ½ tsp. finely chopped oregano

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

4 tbsp. salted butter at room temperature

8 large carrots, peeled and cut on a diagonal into 2–3-inch pieces

8 small (about 2 in. wide) Yukon gold or red potatoes, halved

1 large yellow onion, halved and then cut into ½ in. slices

4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided

2 tsp. fresh ground pepper, divided

3 cups chicken stock, store bought or better yet, homemade

2 tbsp. corn starch

Directions

Brine the chicken. Dry the chicken with paper towels and remove any chicken giblets that might be in the cavity. Rub ½ tbsp. kosher salt and 1 tsp. fresh ground pepper into inside of cavity of chicken. With the breast side up, gently lift the skin on the breast with your index finger being careful not to tear it – rub ½ tbsp. kosher salt on the breast meat under the skin. Place on a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Make the citrus-herb butter. Combine the lemon and lime zest; chopped rosemary, thyme, and oregano; garlic powder; and butter in a small bowl. Cover and set aside.

Prepare the vegetables. Combine the carrots, potatoes, and onion into a large bowl and add 2 tbsp. of the olive oil, mixing to coat.

Prepare the chicken for roasting. Place the cast iron skillet in the oven on the middle rack and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and fill the cavity of the chicken with the quartered lemon and lime, garlic cloves, and rosemary, thyme, and oregano sprigs. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine to close the cavity. Rub remaining 2 tbsp. of olive oil all over the chicken and sprinkle remaining 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper over top of the chicken (breast side up).

Roast the chicken and vegetables. Take the skillet out of the oven (use caution – it’s very hot!!!). Place vegetables into bottom of skillet and then the chicken, breast side up, over the vegetables. Return to the oven and roast for 1 ½ hours. Check the chicken after an hour – if the skin is browning quickly, cover loosely with foil until done cooking. Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer to a cutting board – tent with foil and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Remove the vegetables to a large bowl and cover with foil to keep warm.

Make the gravy. Pour off the fat from the bottom of the skillet, reserving about 4 tbsp. in a small bowl. Add the chicken stock to the skillet and cook over high heat on the stovetop for about 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to get up all the brown bits. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix the corn starch with the reserved fat from the skillet to create a slurry. Add the slurry to the skillet and boil for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Pour the gravy into a small pan and keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.

Slice the chicken and serve with the roasted vegetables and gravy.