Author Notes
The inspiration for this recipe comes from meeting Chef Claire Robinson at a book fair last year. Claire gave a demonstration of roasting a whole chicken that is rested upon onion and fennel. The vegetables act as the roasting rack and get a boost of flavour from the chicken as it all roasts together. Her version involved a lot of butter, I've replaced it with olive oil, both to lighten the dish and to use the oil I always have stocked in my kitchen. (Besides, my butter is reserved for baking!) I've also replaced the fennel (which can be hard to find and is expensive) with carrots and spring red potatoes. Claire also noted in her presentation that this method of roasting can accommodate any sort of vegetables you enjoy eating.
The bonus of using breast meat on the bone is that the meat will retain more moisture as it cooks. If the breasts alone are not on sale, go for a whole fryer chicken and remove the breasts yourself. —midnitechef
Ingredients
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3 - 4
chicken breasts (with skin, on the bone)
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4 - 5
cloves of garlic, minced
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2 tablespoons
olive oil
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1 1/2 teaspoons
salt
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1 sprig
rosemary (free from my garden!)
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fresh cracked black pepper
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4
red potatoes, quartered
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8
carrots, peeled
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2
one inch wide slices of onion
Directions
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Pre-heat the oven to 425ºF. Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Separate the skin from the meat to create a pocket.
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Mince the rosemary. Add the rosemary to a small bowl along with the garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. Stir to combine.
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Use about 1/6th of the olive oil mixture under the skin of each breast. Rub another 1/6th on the outside of the skin. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper if you wish.
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Arrange the vegetables in the bottom of a roasting pan or casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the chicken, skin side up, on top of the vegetables.
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Roast for 30 minutes at 425ºF. Cover with foil and return to a 375ºF oven for another 20 - 30 minutes. (Always check the temperature of your chicken at the thickest part, it should read at least 180ºF)
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Serve each person a breast, two carrots and four potato wedges. The liquid in the pan can be reduced and thickened slightly to be served as a gravy.
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