- 2
Ingredients
- 1 (3 1/4- to 3 1/2-pound) chicken, preferably organic
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 clove garlic, unpeeled, smashed with the side of a large knife
- 1/2 lemon
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 medium carrots
- 4 inner stalks celery
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- Kitchen Stuff: Medium-sized roasting pan, kitchen shears
Preparation
Step 1
Remove the innards, if any; throw them away or save them for stock. Place the chicken in a bowl large enough to hold it comfortably, with room to spare. Add the vinegar and enough cold water to cover the chicken completely. Let the chicken soak for about 30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the bowl, rinse it under cold running water, and pat it completely dry, inside and out, with paper towels.
Arrange the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 Fahrenheit.
In a roasting pan or baking dish just large enough to hold it, set the chicken, neck end down, so that you are holding its legs in the air. Sprinkle the cavity with about 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the garlic, the lemon half, and a 4-inch sprig of rosemary. Tie the legs of the chicken together: Cut a piece of string about 12 inches long. Wrap one end around one "ankle," leaving 2 to 3 inches of the string free, and the other end around the other "ankle." Pull the ends of the string to pull together the "ankles," then tie the ends together and knot. Lay the bird in the pan on its breast. Working all over the back (including the backs of the legs and the wings), rub the chicken with about 1 1/2 teaspoons salt until the salt begins to dissolve into the skin. This will take a few minutes; it's fun. Then drizzle on 1 tablespoon of the oil, and rub that all over. Be sure not to miss any nooks and crannies. Rub with about 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Now turn the bird breast side up, and repeat the entire operation with another 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Peel the carrots and the bumpy side of the celery ribs with a vegetable peeler. Remove the chicken from the pan and line up carrots and celery sticks (I alternate, but it doesn't matter) in the bottom of the pan. Set an onion quarter in each corner and set the chicken, breast side up, on top of the vegetables. Now tear up a 6-inch sprig of rosemary into 1-inch pieces and scatter them over the top of the chicken.
Put the pan in the oven and roast until the skin of the chicken is nicely browned and the juices run clear when you insert a small knife into the thigh, 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, cover the chicken with aluminum foil, and let it rest 15 to 20 minutes.
Uncover the chicken and cut it into 8 pieces with kitchen scissors. Cut the vegetables into pieces with a knife. Arrange the chicken in the center of a casserole or serving bowl and spoon the vegetables around it.