Fall

Apple and Walnut Roast Chicken

by:
October 13, 2011
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0 Ratings
Apple and Walnut Roast Chicken
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

I couldn't get my hands on a goose, but I really liked the idea of the apple-and-walnut-stuffed roast goose from the book Cattern Cakes and Lace, so I made an Apple and Walnut Roast Chicken. I didn't make a stuffing, because I don't know how one would fit a decent amount of stuffing in a chicken, but I did stuff the cavity of the chicken with apples, walnuts, onions and herbs, which gives a nice flavor and the apple keeps the chicken moist. The accompanying vegetables get all caramelized and gooey and yummy. —Lauren Hairston

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 pounds parsnips
  • 1 1/2 pounds potatoes
  • 1/2 pound Granny Smith (or other cooking) apples, peeled, cored and sliced
  • 1 small onion, peeled and cut into wedges
  • sea salt
  • freshly-ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 pounds chicken (free-range if possible)
  • 1 ounce walnut halves, roughly chopped
  • 8 sage leaves, chiffonade
  • 3 bay leaves
  • unsalted butter, softened
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 375? Fahrenheit. Peel and chop the parsnips and potatoes then toss olive oil, salt, pepper, half the apple slices and half the onion wedges in a large roasting pan. Push to the edges of the pan to leave room for the chicken.
  2. Season the inside of the chicken with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the walnuts, sage and bay leaves. Add the remaining half of the apple slices and onion wedges. Truss and nestle the chicken (breast-side up) in the roasting pan, surrounded by the potatoes and parsnips. Spread the skin of the chicken with the softened butter and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the middle of an oven 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the juices from the chicken run yellow (not pink) when the thickest part of the thigh is pricked with a knife or skewer. Roast longer if necessary.
  3. Remove the chicken to a carving board and tent with aluminum foil. Let it rest 20 minutes. Meanwhile, return the vegetables to the oven and turn the heat up to 425? Fahrenheit. Roast another 20 minutes. When the vegetables are ready, carve up the chicken and serve alongside the veggies.
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1 Review

MandiFran
MandiFran October 23, 2011
Great Sunday dinner! I cooked the chicken and veggies on a large sheet pan and after 70 minutes, they were cooked all the way, so I didn’t put them back in the oven for the extra 20 minutes. The taste combination of the sweet roasted apples was very nice with the potatoes and parsnips. The juices from the chicken added a little extra flavor to the roasting vegetables and I put a few spoonfuls over them once I put them in a serving dish. I finished the dish with the walnuts and a chiffonade of fresh sage. Parsnips are something I’ve only eaten once or twice before and I’ll use the extras I bought to try some new recipes. I’d be interested to see how this turns out in a goose. A water chestnut stuffing might be good.