Roasted Chicken Never Goes Out Of Style

If I had to pick one ingredient to bring on a deserted island and if I had to eat day after day, I think it would be chicken. I just never get bored of it and you can prepare it in so many different ways. The possibilities with chicken are endless. There simply are not rules as to how to prepare it. On top of it, if you like the brown part better (which is the case for me!), it’s a pretty cheap meat to buy and won’t make a whole in your pocket!

I was having a hard time this summer cooking some nice warm meals. I’m more of a fish and salad kind of person during the summer but now that the fall is almost over and that winter is knocking at our doors, I’m back in the mood of cooking some heartwarming dishes. This is a super easy one perfect for nice family dinners.

SIMPLE ROASTED CHICKEN

Makes 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 big chicken (ideally free –range or organic)

½ cup butter, in cubes

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lemon

½ onion, chopped

½ cup Vermouth

½ cup chicken broth

1 cup mushrooms (optional)

Kosher salt and pepper

PREPARATION

Preheat your oven at 475˚F.

Put the onions and the mushrooms at the bottom of an ovenproof deep dish. Poor the Vermouth and chicken broth on top. Season with salt & pepper.

On a cutting board, take the chicken and delicately lift the skin off. Put some butter cubes under the skin all around the chicken. Once you’re done, place it breast side up on top of the onions and mushrooms. Drizzle the olive oil on top of the chicken. Season with salt and pepper.

Take the lemon and carefully prick it all over, using the tip of a sharp knife and stuff it in the “bottom” of the chicken (in its cavity!).

Put the ovenproof dish in the oven and immediately bring the heat down to 400˚F. Cook the chicken for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

When ready, place your chicken on a cutting board and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Carve out the chicken and serve immediately.

Note: Putting a lemon inside the chicken will tenderize the meat.

If you’d like to make a full dish out of this, you can add some potatoes. The best way is to add them in about half an hour after you’ve put the chicken in (about 50 minutes left).