Roast Chicken Meal
This simple meal is so elegant. I know many people who pick up a roast chicken from their local grocery store. Even co-ops and specialty stores like our local Holy Land Grocery, Bakery and Deli (they have amazing everything – humus, falafel, fresh pitas…) are carrying cheap already seasoned and roasted chickens. Now, I’m not going to say don’t buy an already roasted chicken on a day that you might end up getting a pizza delivered. But! I am going to say *do* buy a whole chicken and roast it yourself sometime. In fact, I’m saying make my Roast Chicken Meal and impress your in-laws, your family, your spouse or just yourself, for less than $10.
All you need is a small whole chicken, a bag of small potatoes, a generous handful of green beans, some simple, fresh seasonings and voila! Real, elegant, inexpensive – delicious! I find a lot of people who “don’t like rosemary” don’t like dry rosemary and don’t like that the needles are prickly, so using fresh and chopping them finely resolves this, and the flavor is amazing. Your kitchen will smell like the Mediterranean and everyone will be satisfied. You can even save the chicken carcass and leftover bits for stock and really stretch your money.
- 1 Small Whole Chicken (About 3 Pounds)
- 1 Bag Teeny Tiny Potatoes (Trader Joe’s, or any small potato – would work great with CSA potatoes)
- 1 Yellow Onion
- 1 Bunch Haricots Verts (French Green Beans or Whole String Beans)
- 1 Lemon (I used a Meyer Lemon)
- 2-4 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Thyme + 2 Sprigs for Stuffing
- Cracked Pepper
- Coarse Sea Salt
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Wash chicken inside and out with cold water and pat dry (don’t forget to take out the giblets)
- Place chicken in roast pan or glass dish, spray the chicken with EVOO (the spray gadget I have is amazing – you can just brush a bit on)
- Salt and pepper the chicken inside and out (I was a bit heavy handed and it turned out perfect)
- Set oven to 350 degrees
- Quarter lemon and onion, stuff into cavity
- Wash herbs and add 2 sprigs rosemary and a handful of thyme to chicken cavity
- Place in oven and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, until juices run clear
- For Potatoes: Pluck 1 tablespoon thyme into medium bowl, set aside
- Pluck ½ the rosemary and chop finely
- Add plucked rosemary, salt and pepper to bowl
- Wash and halve potatoes, add to herb mixture
- Toss with EVOO, place on foiled baking sheet and roast with chicken for 45 minutes to 1 hour, shaking the pan halfway through
- I cheated on the haricots verts, as Trader Joe’s has them frozen and I ran out of energy – microwaved according to directions and sprayed with EVOO topped with a dash of cracked pepper
My daughter thought this meal was quite civilized and remarked at how fancy it all looked. We used cloth napkins and lit some candles for mood lighting. A simple, elegant and inexpensive way to impress your family or a date!