Gallagher Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (4-5 pounds)
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons butter or oil
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 3-4 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3-4 potatoes, quartered (or whatever root vegetables you have)

Instructions

Preparation

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking. Pat it dry inside and out with paper towels — this is important for crispy skin.

Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Seasoning

Season the inside of the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Rub the outside all over with butter or oil, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Don't be timid with the seasoning — the skin can handle it.

Vegetables

Place the quartered onion, carrots, and potatoes in a large cast iron skillet or roasting pan. Toss with a little oil and salt. Make a space in the center and place the chicken on top of the vegetables, breast-side up.

Roasting

Roast uncovered for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. The chicken is done when the thickest part of the thigh — between the thigh and the body — reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, or when the juices run clear if you cut there.

During the last 15 minutes of cooking, if the skin isn't yet golden and crispy, increase the oven temperature to 425°F.

Resting

Remove the chicken and vegetables from the oven. Let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes before carving. This keeps the meat juicy.

Carving

Place the chicken on a cutting board. Pull the legs away from the body, pop the thigh joint, and separate the legs. Separate the thighs from the drumsticks. Pull the wings back and away from the body, cutting through where the wing meets the breast. Carve the breasts off the bone, slicing as thick or thin as you like.

Transfer all meat to a serving platter and arrange the roasted vegetables around it.

Uses for the Bones

Don't throw away the carcass. Put it in a gallon freezer bag and freeze. When the bag is full of bones — from this chicken and future chickens — make stock:

1. Dump all bones and scraps into your largest pot
2. Cover with water
3. Simmer on low for 3-4 hours with the lid cracked
4. Strain through a colander
5. Cool and freeze in quart containers

The resulting stock will be rich and gelatinous and worth more than any broth you can buy.

Yield

One 4-5 pound chicken yields:

• About 2-3 cups of shredded meat
• 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 wings, 2 breasts (or similar portions depending on how you carve)
• Enough bones and scraps to make stock
• Vegetables enough for 3-4 servings

Notes

This one chicken will provide:

• One dinner for 4-5 people
• Leftover meat for sandwiches, salads, tacos, or fried rice
• Bones for stock that becomes soup

The whole process costs $7-9 depending on sales and yields at least 10-12 servings when you count everything.

Root vegetables cook best when they're roughly the same size. If you're using smaller potatoes, leave them whole. If using large ones, cut them smaller so they cook through at the same rate as the chicken.

Don't discard the rendered fat from the pan. It's golden chicken fat, perfect for cooking eggs or roasting more vegetables.