I'm Gonna Roast that Chicken in a Pan..

Roasting a chicken is simple and it makes for an elegant meal to serve friends any time of year. I recently got my paws on an amazing fresh chicken from Tuckahoe Plantation in Richmond. If you can afford the extra (its only a couple of dollars) for an organic free-range chickie, the difference in taste from their weirdo battery cousins is unbelievable!

Depending on the season, vary your sides. It is so easy to throw veggies into the roasting pan while the chicken does it's thing. I used typical vegg that I have laying around (i am currently the poorest of church mice): carrots, potatoes, and lots of garlic. I also made a quick gravy with the drippings left on the bottom of the pan. This was my first lesson at cooking school and is the best cooking basic to know.. get on it. x

ROASTED CHICKEN w/ VEGGIES & a MUSTARD GRAVY

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken, 2.5-3 lbs (1.1-1.4 kg)
  
• 1 lemon, cut into 4
  
• 5 sprigs of thyme
• 4 carrots, cut into bite-size chunks
• a bunch of tiny potatoes (as seen in pic) or 3 large baking potatoes, cut into smallish chunks
• 6 cloves of garlic
• lots of olive oil
• 2 glugs dry white wine, a cheapy is fine
• lots of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 spoonful Dijon mustard
• 2 large ladel-fulls of chicken stock
• a generous sprinkle of flour

Directions:

• 24 hrs before you plan on cooking the chicken, wash out the cavity. Dry with paper towel and salt & pepper the cavity and outside generously! This is kind of a pseudo-brine that makes the meat a lot more tender.
• When you are ready to cook, preheat oven to 450 F/230C.
• Stuff the chicken's cavity with lemon and 2 sprigs of thyme.
  
• Truss chicken. If you don't know how.. just tie the chickens feet together with some string so it doesn't fall apart when it is cooking.
  
• Look out a large roasting pan.. add cut veggies, garlic, s&p, and the rest of the thyme.
  
• Add a glug of olive oil.
• stir and make sure all veggies are coated.
• Push veggies aside and put chicken in the middle, breast side down.
  
• Rub a LITTLE extra oil over the chicken.
• Cook for 15 min.
• Reduce oven heat to 400F/200C
• Remove pan, turn chicken over (breast side-up), return, and cook for an additional 40 min. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken registers 160 F/70C between the breast and thigh (the meatiest part). If you have a large bird keep it in longer and check every 5 min.
  
• When done, take the chicken out and let it rest for 15 min (as you make the gravy). Keep warm.
  
• If the veg needs some more time (they shouldn't), return them to the oven. If they are done, remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and keep warm.
• Put the roasting pan over stove top at med-high heat.
• Sprinkle drippings in pan with flour.. stir and combine
• add mustard, white wine, and chicken stock.
  
• Simmer until thick.. season with salt and pepper.
  
• Serve with chicken and vegg! YUMMY!