I grew up watching the Food Network. My favorite shows were 30-minute Meals, Hot Off The Grill, Sweet Dreams, and the Barefoot Contessa. Ina Garten was one of my teenage heroes given that I really loved eating. But she cooked the most delicious home-cooked meals outside of the studio and it was just so realistic to me. I had always felt as if I was there in her kitchen, watching her cook and smelling all the aroma in there.
I have tried this roast chicken recipe on my own. And just like what I thought when I was young, she never disappoints. You have to try this!
Ingredients
1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) Land O Lakes butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
Bertolli Olive oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.
Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.
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Quick Tip: Best served with iced tea or your preferred fresh juice.
Thank you Taste for this great photo.