by Ben McCarthy
This simple roast chicken is perfect for a chilly fall or winter night. It requires minimal preparation and cooking time. I like to roast a bulb or two of fennel (also known as anise) along with the chicken and serve it with a salad of some sort–I find watercress or arugula both work well.
The key to this chicken is salting it liberally and rubbing generously with thyme, rosemary and a pinch of chili.
Simple Roast Chicken
Ingredients:
- 3-4lb chicken
- Olive Oil (around 2 tablespoons)
- Three cloves garlic, crushed
- A pinch of chili flakes (around half a teaspoon depending on how spicy you like things)
- Black pepper
- Salt
- 6-7 sprigs of rosemary, removed from stems and minced
- 10 sprigs of time, removed from stems and minced
- Half a lemon
- Half a cup (or less) of white wine, this is optional but will make a nice basting liquid when combined with pan drippings
- Butcher’s twine for trussing the chicken
Instructions:
- Pre-heat oven to 450 °F
- Prep your ingredients for the rub. Finely mince the rosemary and thyme and set aside, crush a couple of cloves of garlic, portion out the salt, pepper and chili flakes.
- Rinse the chicken and dry thoroughly, the dryer the better as this will help the bird become crispy.
- Rub the entire bird, including the cavity with olive oil.
- Generously coat with salt, sprinkling from above so the salt does not clump in any single area.
- Rub the rosemary and thyme, chili and black pepper all over the bird, stuff the cavity with the lemon and garlic cloves.
- Truss bird with butcher’s twine and tuck the wings under the body of the bird (this will prevent them from becoming dry or burning).
Roast until the skin becomes golden brown and crispy, baste occasionally.
Roast Fennel
Ingredients:
- Two bulbs of fennel
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Chili flakes
- Crushed garlic cloves
Instructions:
- Cut fennel into half-inch pieces, add olive oil, salt, pepper, chili flakes and crushed garlic cloves.
- Toss and add to a roasting pan or cast iron skillet.
- Roast for 15-30 minutes
- Note: Fennel will cook much faster than the chicken
Photo Credit: Deborah Jones / epicurious.com
Ben McCarthy is a graduate of Hunter College. He is also the lead guitarist in the alternative rock band Regret the Hour. He loves to cook and try new food, and he grew up cooking with his mother.
