Weeknight Roast Chicken: Hear Me Out

By jeaninemg

Turns out, though, that roasting a chicken is pretty darn easy, and more economical. A whole bird costs less than the sum of its parts, and can be done in roughly an hour. This delicious roasted chicken is a perfect weeknight meal!

Ingredients

• 1 small whole chicken (about 3 – 3 1/2 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon sea salt (we used Fresh Basil & Lemongrass Herb Sea Salt from Woody’s Gourmet)
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 3 sprigs fresh marjoram
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound small German butterball potatoes
• Lemon slices, optional

Preparation

Step 1

We season our bird with plenty of salt and pepper, stuff it with fresh herbs (and sometimes lemon slices), brown it briefly in our cast iron skillet, and then throw it into the oven to roast while we catch up on our days, check off a few more emails and listen to some music. Sometimes we throw some veggies into the pan (carrots and fennel are fabulous caramelized with the bird’s juices) and others we like to roast some buttery little potatoes with just a few herbs and spices.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rinse the potatoes and place them into a baking dish. Toss them with the rosemary sea salt (to taste), a sprinkling of freshly-ground pepper and a generous drizzle of olive oil.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, place the chicken, breast side down, into the skillet. Cook for a few minutes, letting the skin brown lightly. Flip to the other side, and cook for a few minutes before flipping it again and placing it in the oven to roast.

Place the potatoes alongside the chicken. Check the potatoes after about 30 minutes and take them out of the oven when they’re fork-tender. Check the chicken to make sure it is not browning too quickly. Roast the chicken for about 45 minutes to an hour (until the juices run clear).

Remove the chicken from the cast iron skillet and set it on a large cutting board. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before carving it (this helps keep it moist and juicy).