Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

Oh sure, it may be weird that following my post lamenting the ills of animal protein, I decide to blog about a roasted chicken.  But A) I have a little ADD and B) I've encountered so many people lately that are intimidated by roasting a whole chicken.  I have to admit, I was a little intimidated by it myself at one time, but I found my way, learned how to truss (that was always confusing to me, but it's soooo easy; Youtube it!) and now I'm a chicken roasting fool.

Roasting a chicken is perfect for entertaining or if you're cooking for a family.  It's also great if, like me, you live alone.  I can roast a chicken and then feed off of it for days, putting together a different dish each night.  Last month I taught a College Cooking class, in which I taught the college-bound group how to roast a chicken and then use the meat to create three different dishes later from it.  We made Chipotle Chicken Tostadas, Chicken Green Curry and Rosemary & Walnut Chicken Salad (I'll post those at a later date,  I'm sure, but if you can't wait, just let me know on my facebook page and I'll send recipes to you).  But it all started with this delicious, easy roasted chicken.  They were a little nervous about getting under the skin and "feeling up" the chicken, but in the end it all worked out......don't be afraid to play with your food.  It's nourishing you; show it some love.

It doesn't look all that pretty, but MAN does it ever taste fantastic! 

Couple of things that are key here.  First, buy a pasture-raised chicken. Don't fall for all the other marketing hype:  no hormones, cage free, etc, it. doesn't really mean much.  If it's pasture-raised, that is the real deal.  If you can afford it, Whole Foods has a fantastic one; it's a #5 on their scale, which is the highest on their scale of "compassion" for an animal, raised in the best possible environment, making it healthiest for you.  One of my favorite Michael Pollan "rules" is  to only eat animals who have themselves eaten well.  Pasture-raised chickens eat well .  If you're on a budget (and who isn't?) I'm a new fan of the Trader Joe's Kosher chicken.  Might be less "compassionate", but a darn good bird!  And they are both small, which I dig, because they cook faster, and y'allI know I don't like to wait hours to eat.

The other thing is, don't be afraid of fat.  I put butter (you can also use olive oil) on the outer skin and under the skin.  Really crisps it up!  And the butter adds a ton of flavor.  I'm not eating the skin, but the flavor permeates through the meat.

Lastly, this little lemon-garlic-rosemary mixture happening in, on and under the chick is the killer secret.  You are definitely going to pat yourself on the back....

Roasted Chicken                                                                                                     Serves 4-6

One 3-4 lb chicken, neck & gizzards removed

¼ cup butter or olive oil, divided

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

6 fresh rosemary sprigs

1 lemon, zested & then punctured all over with a fork

·         Let chicken rest  at room temperature about 30 minutes .

·         Preheat oven to 375°.

·         Rub skin of chicken with 2 tablespoons butter or oil, and rub remaining 2 tablespoons under the skin.

·         In a small bowl combine garlic, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon lemon zest.

·         Rub mixture all over chicken (over & under skin, focusing the greater amount of rub under the skin to enhance flavor).

·         Place the rosemary and punctured lemon in the cavity.

• Truss chicken with kitchen twine & place breast-side down in roasting pan
• Roast chicken for 50-60 minutes, until juices run clear and internal temp reaches 160°.
• Allow chicken to rest (bird will continue to cook once removed from oven) at least 10 minutes before carving.

Yum it up!