Roast Chicken with Carrots

Whole roast chicken makes such a lovely presentation for dinner, doesn’t it? Whether it’s for guests or an easy weeknight family meal. This roast chicken recipe takes little time to prep and then into the oven it goes. Stuff the chicken with lemon, garlic, and thyme. If you want, truss it for a more attractive presentation. Put the chicken in an oven-proof skillet (a cast iron pan works well for this) surrounded by carrots and garlic. Roast the chicken at high heat, basting every 15 minutes or so with the pan juices. Easy! The extra broth in the pan and the frequent basting help keep the chicken from drying out. The recipe comes, barely adapted, from one we found in the Wall St. Journal years ago, by Orange County restauranteur Liza Goodell.

Ingredients

  • Whole fryer chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds, preferably organic or kosher, wingtips removed
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lemon, halved or quartered
  • 1 bunch fresh thyme
  • 10 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 8 carrots, peeled, trimmed and halved crosswise
  • 1 to 1½ cups chicken stock
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp red-wine vinegar, more to taste

1 Season and stuff the chicken: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Season well with salt and pepper. Stuff with lemon, thyme and half of the garlic cloves.

2 Truss the chicken: Using butcher's string, secure the wings and legs to the body.

3 Place chicken in a small roasting pan or large, deep, oven-proof heavy skillet. Surround with the carrots and remaining garlic, then add 1 cup of chicken stock. Drizzle with olive oil.

4 Roast the chicken at 425°F (220°C). (If you are using a convection oven, start at 425°F (220°C) then reduce to 375°F (190°C) after the first 15 minutes.)

Roast until chicken is golden and carrots are well caramelized, 1¼ to 1½ hours, basting with broth and pan juices every 15 minutes for the first 45 minutes. Add more stock if pan looks dry.

5 Let chicken rest: Transfer chicken, carrots and garlic to a platter. Discard twine, thyme and lemon, and let chicken rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

6 Add vinegar to pan juices: Skim fat from pan juices and discard. Add 1 Tbsp vinegar to remaining pan juices, taste and add more to taste. Serve over the chicken.