Oven Roasted Chicken

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– November 1, 2011Posted in: Dinner

I’m declaring this week Comfort Food Week. What a week, and it’s only the start!

Living in NJ, we never have snow in October. Alright, maybe never is too strong a word, but this snow was no dusting; it was a full fledged Nor’easter that dumped anywhere from 6 – 12 inches of wet heavy snow.  I only just mentally recovered from last winter’s weekly snow storms; I’m not ready for another winter! So, enter comfort food week.

roast chicken

Comfort food is certainly about the taste, but it’s also about the smells and warmth. Nothing beats turning on the oven when it’s chilly out and filling the house with a delicious aroma and warmth.

Last weekend we did just that; we picked up a roasting  chicken, rubbed it with a delicious garlic and rosemary recipe from Emeril, and threw it in the oven. By the time dinner rolled around the whole house smelled wonderful. Some buttermilk biscuits and steamed carrots rounded out our comfort meal, but you can go with just about any side that is going to make you happy. After all, it’s supposed to be your comfort meal.

roast chicken

After dinner, I made chicken stock from the left overs. With it we made some chicken soup and Spinach and Tomato Orzotto, and there was enough chicken left over to make quesadillas another night.

Comfort week has only just started here at The Keenan Cookbook. Check back tomorrow and Thursday for two more comfort dishes you wont want to miss. And please share your favorite comfort foods in the comments below, links encouraged (share the love!).

roast chicken

Recipe: Oven Roasted Chicken

Ingredients

  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into thirds
  • 3 ribs celery, peeled and cut into thirds
  • 3 onions, peeled and cut into quarters
  • 1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) chicken, rinsed and patted dry
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons cracked white pepper
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 4 sprigs rosemary, roughly chopped, plus 1 tablespoon for gravy
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons crushed garlic
  • 1 cup dry white wine

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
  2. In a 9 by 13-inch roasting pan, add the carrots, celery and onions. Season the chicken both inside and out with the kosher salt and white pepper. Squeeze the lemon halves over the chicken and place the rinds inside the cavity. Place the bay leaves inside the cavity. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, rosemary, olive oil and butter. Rub the chicken both inside and out with the garlic rosemary blend and place in the roasting pan.
  3. Place the pan in the oven and roast the chicken for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the juices run clear. To test this, insert a thermometer in the thickest part of a leg. It should register at 160 degrees internal temperature. Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.
  4. Pour off excess fat from pan and return to heat. Whisk in chicken stock, roasted garlic, white wine and chopped rosemary, scraping up the bits on the bottom of pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Reduce gravy by half, until thickened.
  5. Serve chicken with gravy on the side.

Cooking time: 50 minute(s) Number of servings (yield): 4

Recipe adapted from: Emeril

What’s your favorite comfort food?
Share a link or let us know in the comments below!

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