Easy Roast Chicken w/ Potatoes
Roast Chicken
When I first started cooking, I felt I had to “master” one dish that could easily be dinner for two with leftovers, or something I could make for a small dinner party. Roast Chicken was the dish I chose, probably because I associate it with Paris, and Julia Child. When I first made Roast Chicken, it turned out okay, but not great, so I found a few different recipes, read “Roast Chicken and Other Stories” (from my mother’s friend, who gave it to me when she found out I was having difficulty making Roast Chicken), and made chicken after chicken until I finally nailed it. Here’s the recipe I use which is really simple and basic, is fail proof, and can be assembled in under seven minutes!
- 3 lbs. chicken, cut up if offered (if not, buy whole and cut into pieces)*
- 5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (feel free to add other root vegetables)
- 2 lemons
- 4 garlic cloves
- Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper, Roasting Pan
Steps, in order:
- Heat your oven to 450 degrees
- Cut potatoes into medium size cubes (1″x1″), peel garlic (keep whole) and halve lemons
- Drizzle olive oil in roasting pan (2 tbsp), place cut up poultry in pan, then place cut up potatoes in pan, then garlic.
- Salt, pepper, squeeze lemon juice throughout pan and place in pan, and drizzle with additional olive oil
- Cover pan with aluminum foil, place in oven for about an hour, or until chicken breast registers 170 degrees on meat thermometer; then discard aluminum foil and cook for an additional fifteen minutes, or until skin is golden brown.
- Serve chicken with potatoes in broth from baking, or make a reduction for chicken gravy.
*If you live in Minneapolis, chicken from the Seward Co-op and Wedge are naturally fed and raised; if you roast the chicken whole (versus cut up), this varies the recipe’s baking time (which takes longer).
