Whole Roasted Chicken

We are debuting a new feature on Fork Knife Swoon called Simply Swoonworthy, a regular series of seasonal dishes, menus and entertaining ideas, designed to be easy, approachable and utterly swoonworthy. The star of our first feature is a glorious – and simple – whole roasted chicken with lemons and fresh thyme; a classic comfort dish meant to be served family-style. The glowing bird, with crispy, crackly skin, flavorful, juicy meat resting atop caramelized roasted root vegetables will be sure to impress, and shines as part of our rustic Fall Sunday Supper menu.

Continue reading for the menu and recipes…

Happy Weekend!

To Start
Butternut Squash Soup

Main Course
Whole Roasted Chicken with Lemons & Fresh Thyme (Recipe Below)
Roasted Root Vegetables (recipe below)
Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Onions and Bacon

To Finish
Ginger Pear Puff-Pastry Tart

Whole Roasted Chicken with Lemons & Fresh Thyme
Serves 4

The Chicken
5-6 lb whole chicken, giblets removed
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 head fresh garlic, sliced in half
1 lemon, quartered
kosher salt
freshly-ground black pepper

The Root Vegetables
1 medium yellow onion, quartered
1 lemon, quartered
6-8 red potatoes, cleaned and quartered
3 cups root vegetables of your choice (carrots, parsnips, turnips, fennel root etc.), cleaned and sliced into large 2″ chunks
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly-ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare the vegetables. In a large mixing bowl, toss the vegetables lightly with olive oil. Place the vegetables in a flat layer in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towel. Stuff the chicken cavity with the garlic, lemon wedges and fresh thyme. Brush the outside of the chicken with the melted butter and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

3. Place the chicken on top of the root vegetables. Tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken and tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

4. Bake for approximately 90 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 180 degrees in the breast and 190 degrees in the thigh and the juices run clear when pierced with a knife between the leg and thigh.

5. Remove the pan from the oven and place the chicken on a large cutting board or platter. Cover the chicken with aluminum foil and let rest for 15-20 minutes. In the meantime, put the roasting pan back in the oven and continue cooking the vegetables until they are golden brown and fork tender, about 15-20 minutes. Slice the chicken and serve hot with crispy bread to soak up the cooking juices.