Sunday Dinner

Sunday dinners at my parents' house has always been something that I looked forward to, it's always been a great way to end the weekend. My Sunday nights are also filled with a little anxiety when thinking about the full week ahead, that's why Sunday dinners are usually filled with my favorite comfort foods--and it doesn't get much better or more satisfying than a homemade roast chicken with veggies on a chilly Fall night!

Warning: This recipe isn't the easiest...but it's easily the most delicious!

What you'll need:

1 whole chicken, about 4 lbs
Salt (preferably sea salt) and freshly crushed black pepper
1/2 lemon
1 onion, peeled and cut in half
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1 sprig of fresh thyme
2 tbsp  herb butter (see recipe at bottom of post)
3 tbsp butter, softened
1 1/2 cup  white wine
A little chopped flat parsley

Any other veggies you want to add to the pan

Method:

Prep the chicken

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Cut off the wing tips, leaving the last joint only. With fingers, remove excess fat from the chicken's inside cavity. Wash the inside of the chicken thoroughly with cold running water. Allow to dry. Season the inside cavity with salt and pepper.
2. Truss the chicken with twine.
3. Now gently give the outside of your bird a good rubdown with salt and pepper. All over, Don't miss any spots. Put the lemon half, half of the onion, the rosemary, and the thyme inside the chicken cavity.
4. Carefully taking hold of the edge of the skin on each side of the chicken, lift the skin and gently push a tablespoon of herb butter underneath, prodding it along so that one lump of herb butter sits on each side of the bird's breastbone. Rub the outside of the chicken with about half of the plain (softened) butter gently. 

Cook the chicken

1. Place the remaining half of the onion in the center of the roasting pan with any other vegetables you'd like to ass surrounding the bird. Place the chicken on top of same. Pour 1/2 cup of white wine into the pan and roast for 30 minutes, basting occasionally with the fat and butter that collects. When you baste, it's a very good idea to move the roasting pan around the oven a little, even rotating it, as many ovens have "hot spots" that might color or cook your bird unevenly.
2. After 30 minutes, crank the oven temperature up to 450 and cook for another 25 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Finish

1. Place the roasting pan on the stove top over high heat. Stir in the remaining wine and scape the bottom of the pan with the wooden spoon to dislodge the fond (the brown bits). Bring the wine to a boil and cook until it's reduced by half. Remove the veggies (serve separately) and whisk in the remaining softened butter. Stir in the parsley, season with salt and pepper, and serve alongside the chicken.

Herb Butter Recipe (great on EVERYTHING)

Yields approximately 3/4 cup 

What you'll need: 

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp honey
Pinch of salt
Pinch of finely ground white pepper

1. Combine all the ingredients in the mixing bowl and mix well with the wooden spoon. Gently roll the mixture into a log about the same length and width as a stick of butter. Roll tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until use.

 Now enjoy!

XX,

Arielle