SERVES 4
Who doesn’t like a roast chicken? This chicken recipe is always a safe bet when entertaining; absolutely everyone who tries it asks me to share the recipe with them afterwards. “Pot-roasted” just means you cook everything together in one pot, which maximizes all those lovely flavors. The secret is to keep a good eye on everything, and insert a small knife into the vegetables periodically to test when they are all cooked through because they cook at different times. I love how the vegetables take on the lovely chicken and garlic flavors.
1 free-range chicken, about 1½ pounds
Olive oil
Sea salt
Black pepper, freshly cracked
¼ pound pancetta or bacon, in one piece
16 to 20 small new potatoes, scrubbed
6 small red onions or shallots, peeled but whole
4 carrots, peeled
4 thyme sprigs
3 bay leaves
Cloves from 2 heads garlic, peeled and halved
¼ cup brandy
¼ cup dry vermouth
1¼ cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon butter
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Place the chicken on a chopping board and use a small sharp knife to remove the wishbone, then tie the legs together with kitchen string for even cooking. Smear the chicken all over with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.
Heat a cast-iron pot or roasting pan over medium-high heat, then add a splash of oil. When it is hot, add the pancetta and color on both sides—this gives extra flavor. Remove the pancetta and set aside.
Add the chicken to the pot and brown on all sides, turning it over with a roasting fork. Remove it from the pot and set aside.
Turn the heat down to medium. Add the new potatoes, red onions, carrots, thyme, bay leaves, and garlic. Return the pancetta to the pot. Season well with salt and pepper, then stir everything together. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to push the vegetables to the sides of the pot, and return the chicken in the center.
Put the lid on the pot or cover with foil and place it in the oven for 60 minutes. The vegetables and garlic might be tender before the chicken is cooked, depending on their size. Check the vegetables after 15 minutes—the onions will probably be done first. To check, slide the tip of a small knife into the vegetables and if there’s no resistance, they’re ready. Baste the chicken with all the lovely juices. As each vegetable is done, remove it and wrap it in foil to keep hot until you’re ready to serve.
When the chicken is cooked through (the juices run clear when you pierce a thigh), remove it and any remaining vegetables from the pot and set aside in a bowl (to collect the juices) for 5 minutes, covered with foil. Add in the previously removed vegetables.
Pour the collected cooking juices back into the pot along with the brandy and vermouth. Stir to deglaze the pot and boil until the liquid reduces by half. Add the chicken stock and continue boiling until it reduces by one third. Whisk in the butter and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve with the chicken and vegetables straight from the bowl.