Whole Roasted Chicken on a Bed of Root Vegetables

By lindsayvk

This is a perfect one-pot meal, a great fall or winter dish I've made countless times and one of my favorite meals to prepare. Efficient, economical, and delicious, it serves four people (or two people with great leftovers), it pretty much cooks on its own, and you've only got one pan to clean up. The root vegetables make a bed for the chicken, and the rendering fat and juices from the chicken flavor the vegetables. If you have a big cast-iron skillet, use that.
It's important to let the chicken stand at room temperature for about 1 1/2 hours before you roast it. We also often leave it uncovered in the refrigerator for a day or two, which dries the skin and thus helps it to become crisp during the roasting.

Ingredients

• One 4- to 4 1/2-pound chicken
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 6 thyme sprigs
• 2 large leeks
• 3 tennis-ball-sized rutabagas
• 2 tennis-ball-sized turnips
• 4 medium carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut in half
• 1 small yellow onion, trimmed, leaving root end intact, and cut into quarters
• 8 small (golf-ball-sized) red-skinned potatoes
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 4 Tbsp (2 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Preparation

Step 1

1. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until it comes to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
2. Remove the neck and innards if they are still in the cavity of the chicken. Using a paring knife, cut out the wishbone from the chicken. (This will make it easier to carve the chicken.) Generously season the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper, add 3 of the garlic cloves and 5 sprigs of thyme, and massage the inside of the bird to infuse it with the flavors. Truss the chicken.
3. Cut off the dark green leaves from the top of the leeks. Trim off and discard any darkened outer layers. Trim the root ends, cutting around them on a 45-degree angle. Slit the leeks lengthwise almost in half, starting 1/2 inch above the root ends. Rinse the leeks well under warm water.
4. Cut off both ends of the rutabagas. Stand the rutabagas on end and cut away the skin, working from top to bottom and removing any tough outer layers. Cut into 3/4-inch wedges. Repeat with turnips, cutting the wedges to match the size of the rutabagas.
5. Combine all the vegetables and the remaining garlic cloves and thyme sprig in a large bowl. Toss with 1/4 cup of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables in a large cast-iron skillet or a roasting pan.
6. Rub the remaining oil all over the chicken. Season generously with salt and pepper.
7. Make a nest in the center of the vegetables and nestle the chicken in it. Cut the butter into 4 or 5 pieces and place over the chicken breast.
8. Put the chicken in the oven and roast for 25 minutes. Reduce the heat to 400 degrees and roast for an additional 45 minutes, or until the temperature registers 160 degrees in the meatiest portions of the bird-the thighs, and under the breast where the thigh meets the breast-and the juices run clear. If necessary, return the bird to the oven for more roasting; check it every 5 minutes.
9. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let rest for 20 minutes.
10. Just before serving, set the pan of vegetables over medium heat and reheat the vegetables, turning them and glazing them with the pan juices.
11. Cut the chicken into serving pieces, arrange over the vegetables, and serve.