Picture this..it is a cool fall day (much like today), sweatshirt weather, and you want to feed the family something warm, homey and delicious for dinner. Hmmm...the question is what to have? I have the answer...
A delicious, juicy Roast Chicken from Open Meadow Farm. I do not know about you but there are very few things in this world I like better than the smell of roasting chicken wafting through the house, the best part is that the smell permeates very quickly, filling the house with the wonderful aroma. So I am presenting to you my recipe for Roast Chicken:
1. Rinse your whole pasture raised Open Meadow Farm chicken and then pat dry. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place your chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and smear with olive oil all over, then rub with either your favorite spices or a prepared rub (make sure to get the bottom, under the wings and into the legs as well as under the skin a bit if you dare to reach up there).
3. Cut up some carrots (no need to peel them), celery, 1/2 medium onion (again no need to peel), slice across the cloves of a head of garlic; fill the cavity of the chicken alternately with the vegetables as well as salt and pepper or your rub mixture.
4. If you have a thermometer be sure to place firmly into the thigh of the chicken for the most accurate reading ( I strongly advocate the use of a meat thermometer that has a cord connected to the device outside of the oven [well worth the $20 at Target] so there is no need to open the oven which can alter the temperature of an oven by as much as 25 degrees every time you open it).
5. Place your fabulously prepared chicken into the oven for 15 minutes, when the timer goes off DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN, turn the temperature down to 350 degrees until your meat thermometer registers 165 degrees in the thigh. Note: If you do not have a thermometer like me you can estimate a time of approximately 15-20 minutes per pound before checking on your roasted chicken.
6. After removing the most spectacular roast chicken from the oven let rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. Discard all the vegetables from the cavity; carve and serve.
Let's just say that the only thing left on my cutting board after our dinner was the carcass of that beautiful bird that was grown with care, tended to daily, spending its days in the pastures here at Open Meadow Farm becoming a mouth watering, juicy tasty dinner for my family and yours!
