Just Some Good Old Roasted Chicken..
You wouldn’t be wrong to describe this as just some good old roasted chicken, but that would partly miss the point.
This is chicken that spent it’s entire life outdoors on grass, breathing fresh air and pecking at bugs and dirt. These birds were processed on the same farm that raised them, just about an hour’s drive from here. Jane and Terry want nothing to do with chemicals or cages, and their healthy, happy birds are evidence of that stewardship.
This is God’s food, delicious, nourishing and sustaining. And that is the larger point..
Just Some Good Old Roasted Chicken
1 very fresh, whole chicken
2 tablespoons pastured butter, melted
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon sweet or smoked paprika
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup assorted fresh herbs such as sage, thyme and rosemary, coarsely chopped
coarse sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
a squeeze of fresh lemon
Cut the chicken into 8 pieces, rinse with plenty of cold, filtered water and pat dry. Sprinkle liberally with coarse salt, then wrap loosely in butcher paper and refrigerate overnight.
Remove chicken from the refrigerator, wipe away any remaining salt, blot dry and allow to stand 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic, herbs and paprika, reduce heat to low and steep for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool enough to handle. Toss the chicken pieces in the herb butter and arrange skin side-up in a heavy skillet (use multiple pans if necessary to prevent crowding). Season lightly with salt and pepper and roast in a 385 degree oven for 20 minutes. Turn chicken pieces over and roast 15 minutes. Turn chicken once more and roast until skin is crisp and juices run clear, about 10 minutes. Allow to rest 5 minutes, then brighten with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Serve with seasonal vegetables, perhaps.
This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays!
Andrea said,
January 20, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Cheers to good old chickens! Beautiful, real food :-)
Ren said,
January 20, 2010 at 8:45 pm
Thank you very much, Andrea!
Bonnie said,
January 20, 2010 at 9:08 pm
One of my favorite meals! Hey…have you ever cooked with Freekah/Farik? I just heard about it and am interested in it as an alternative to rice/pasta.
Ren said,
January 20, 2010 at 9:16 pm
Not familiar with it, but a quick googling suggests it might be worth taking a look at!
Bonnie said,
January 20, 2010 at 9:10 pm
here’s a link: about farik: http://www.cliffordawright.com/caw/food/entries/display.php/topic_id/23/id/101/
Bonnie said,
January 20, 2010 at 10:17 pm
I am going to see if I can find some locally and try it out. I’d love to see what you come up with! :))
Ren said,
January 20, 2010 at 10:20 pm
Great! Let me know if you spot it in town!
Bonnie said,
January 20, 2010 at 10:24 pm
absolutely!
Bonnie said,
January 21, 2010 at 7:25 pm
Hey Ren, I found Fareek at Phoenicia on South Lamar. A 2 pound bag is $3.89. I was told to cook it similarly to brown rice. B :)
Ren said,
January 22, 2010 at 7:48 am
Wow, that was fast!
Millie@Real Food for Less Money said,
January 21, 2010 at 11:14 am
Looks delicious!
I have to admit that before I started eating pastured chicken I really didn’t think there would be a taste difference. But there is. The meat even looks different than grocery store birds.
Ren said,
January 21, 2010 at 12:29 pm
I don’t much favor those arsenic & saline solution-pumped boneless, skinless, plastic & styro-wrapped frankenblobs either :-)
Kara said,
January 21, 2010 at 1:11 pm
Great post. Must be something in the air…I just did a post about roasting chickens.
http://anhourinthekitchen.com/2010/01/brined-roasted-chicken/
I soak mine in a salt-water solution rather than rubbing it with salt. Do you know what the difference in flavor/juiciness is?
Ren said,
January 21, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Thanks!
For chicken, I generally prefer pre-salting over brining, especially when using cut-up pieces. For larger birds including turkeys, brining can be a good way to infuse additional flavors.
lynn byrd said,
January 21, 2010 at 7:44 pm
Just pulled a once happy roasted chicken from my clay cooker yesterday…simmered the carcass overnight with additional garlic, onion, celery, carrots and lemongrass for stock…then cooked the bones until they were soft…processed that into dog food. Nothing gets away but the cluck!
Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen said,
January 22, 2010 at 12:28 pm
Absolute perfection in my book!
Ren said,
January 22, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Hey, thanks, Jenn!
Heather H. said,
January 25, 2010 at 6:58 pm
AMEN!