winner winner chicken dinner

Cooking a whole roasted chicken dinner always seemed like a bit of a daunting task to me.  There’s something about meals that a 50s housewife would be able to whip up that seems intimidating.  Like they’re so formal & fancy and I’d never be able to pull them off.  This week I decided to stop being a chicken and start eating one instead.  If you want to cook an easy (and impressive) dinner this is a great recipe.  In fact, it was so good that even my Mom liked it!  

• 1 large yam, peeled & chopped into pieces
• 1 lemon, washed
• 1 yellow onion, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 whole chicken, about 2lbs (this is a really small chicken, but really all you’ll need for 2-3 people)
• extra virgin olive oil
• Penzey’s Florida Pepper (okay, most people won’t have Penzey’s spices probably, we order them special, so if you don’t just use some dried lemon peel & fresh ground pepper... or lemon pepper works too)

So instead of cooking this chicken on a roasting rack, you’re going to use the yams & onions as one instead.  First up peel & chop your yam into 2 inch chunks.  Rinse them & stick them in a pot with your washed whole lemon.  Add in cold water to cover.  Put it on high & cook until the yams are *just* parboiled.  Take them off and drain them. 

While you’re waiting for your yams to cook prep your dish.  Get out an ovenproof dish that’s big enough to fit your chicken.  You also want it to be pretty tall so the chicken can sit right in it.  Spray the bottom of your dish with extra virgin olive oil, chop up your onion & throw them in the dish.  Once your yams are drained toss them in the dish as well. You want to make a bit of a bed with the yams & onions so make sure they’re spread out well.

Next you’ll need to clean your chicken & dry it thoroughly.  Be careful not to get raw chicken on anything while you’re doing this, it can spread e.coli & salmonella which can be very dangerous.  Once the chicken is dried off sit it on top of your bed of yams.  Take the lemon that you boiled with the yams, stab it with a knife a few times and shove it inside the chicken cavity.  Cross the legs over each other & seal them with a bamboo skewer and make sure the other end is all tucked underneath as well.

Spray the chicken with a tiny bit of olive oil & sprinkle with your Penzey’s Florida Pepper (or other spices).  Stick it in the oven at 350F for an hour and a half.  The rule of thumb when cooking a whole bird is about 1/2 hr per pound.  If you’ve decided to use a bigger bird definitely give it more time.  When you take it out of the oven test it with an oven thermometer, the internal temperature should be 165F at least.

Take the chicken out of the pot and allow it to rest on a platter before cutting into it.  During this time take the onion & yam bed and stick it under the broiler in your oven to crisp up the yams and make them tastier.

Serve it up & enjoy all the compliments you’ll be getting.

Comments

[Jill Shaner]

Since we don't eat the skin when I roast a chicken, I usually make a paste of a bit of softened butter and herbs. It's easy to separate the skin from the chicken breast with your fingers, then rub the butter mixture under the skin. It keeps the breast meat nice and moist and flavorful. One of my favorites is what I call "Simon & Garfunkel Chicken," with--you guessed it--parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. I quarter a lemon and some shallots for the cavity, and add some white wine to the roasting pan for additional moisture, basting occasionally. Always yummy.

[kat]

That sounds yummy! I was shocked at how juicy this chicken was, and the skin peeled right off of it without any problem. I'll have to try a Simon & Garfunkel sometime, thanks for the tip!