An Absolutely Delicious Roast Chicken Recipe

I'm not usually one to post recipes, but this meal turned out so delicious (and it was so easy) that I vowed I simply must share it with anyone who cares!

The way Joey and I grocery shop is pretty random. We grab things that are on sale and worry about what we'll do with it later. This $5 chicken caught my husband's eye, and that was that.

I've never roasted a chicken like this before, but I was determined to do it without the help of my husband. It's not that I despise his help... but he's an extremely talented cook. He knows everything. Sometimes I just like to surprise him with delicious things that he had no hand in creating.

I did what I always do when trying to plan a meal: I Google searched "roast chicken". I found a few that looked promising, read them through so I was quite familiar with the methodology behind roasting a chicken, then put my own twist on things. So far, I've been quite successful with this method. Let's hope my luck lasts!

Anyways... what I love about this recipe is that it's a put-in-the-oven-and-forget-until-the-timer-goes type of deal. No basting of the chicken! I was skeptical whether the chicken would turn out moist... but it did! It was the best chicken breast I've ever had!

So... without any further ado, I present to
An Absolutely Delicious Roast Chicken Recipe!
(adapted from Canadian Living)

Ingredients
1 head of garlic
1/4 cup (60 mL) vegetable oil
1 tsp (5 mL) dry mustard
1 tsp (5 mL) dried rosemary, crumbled
1 tsp (5 mL) each  salt and pepper
3 potatoes,
3 large carrots
3 large parsnips (or 1 large sweet potato/yam...or both!)
1.5 large onions
1 chicken


Preparation
Separate garlic into cloves; peel. Mince 2 of the cloves; combine in small bowl with 2 tbsp (25 mL) of the oil, mustard, rosemary and half each of the salt and pepper.

Peel potatoes & sweet potato; cut into 2-inch (5 cm) cubes (I did mine smaller, and they were done to perfection) and place in large bowl. Slice carrots and parsnips into 2-inch (5 cm) diagonal chunks. Cut onion into 6 wedges. Add vegetables to bowl along with remaining garlic, oil, salt and pepper; toss to coat.

Remove giblets and neck from chicken (if present - my chicken was nicely cleaned). Pat chicken dry inside and out. Place half of an onion inside the cavity. Tie legs together with string; tuck wings under back. Place, breast side up, on rack in large roasting pan (I used a 9x13 cake pan without a rack to place it on, and it just fit. To be safe, use a roaster! I would have, but we do not own such things). Brush mustard mixture all over chicken; surround with vegetables. Roast in 375°F (190°C) oven, until meat thermometer inserted in thigh registers 185°F (85°C) and vegetables are tender and golden brown, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Note: I chose to get it up to 74°C, which is the temperature that poultry is considered to be "cooked" at. 1-1/2 hours was enough to accomplish this.

Let the chicken stand for 10 minutes before carving. Transfer vegetables to a bowl. Serve and enjoy!


Here's a FANTASTIC tip: save the carcass of the chicken and any leftover meat, and make a broth from it! The flavours of the veggies, onions, and garlic make a fabulous soup base!