Roasted Herbed Chicken and Vegetables
The first step to making this traditional Sunday supper is to infuse melted butter with herbes de Provence, a mix of lavender, thyme, tarragon, sage, marjoram, and savory. After frequent basting with that herb butter during roasting, the chicken turns golden brown and intensely fragrant.
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1½ tbsp. dried herbes de Provence
1 tbsp. honey
2 cups white wine
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. fennel seeds
12 cloves garlic, unpeeled (8 whole, 4 crushed)
3 medium turnips, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 small butternut squash (about 1½ lbs.), peeled, seeded, and cut into thick half-moons Kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper, to taste
1 4-lb. chicken
1 lemon
1 bunch thyme
1 large yellow onion, cut into thick wedges
¾ lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
¾ lb. cremini mushrooms, left whole
12 large sage leaves
Serves 4
1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Melt the butter and herbes de Provence in a pot over medium heat. Remove from heat; whisk in honey. Cover; let herb butter steep for 20 minutes. In a bowl, combine wine, half the oil, fennel, whole garlic, turnips, squash, and salt and pepper; set turnip mixture aside.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Peel rind from lemon in strips. Halve lemon; set aside. Put rind into cavity with remaining garlic and thyme. Tie legs with twine; tuck wings under body; set chicken on a small roasting rack in a roasting pan. Arrange turnip mixture around chicken; scatter with onions. Brush chicken with some herb butter. Roast, basting chicken with herb butter and vegetables with pan juices, until turnips are just tender, about 1 hour.
3. Toss Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and sage together in a bowl with remaining oil and salt and pepper; transfer to pan. Continue roasting until a thermometer inserted in chicken’s thigh reads 165°F, 25–30 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter; cover loosely with foil. Return vegetables to oven; roast until very tender, about 20 minutes more. Carve chicken (following steps shown), squeeze reserved lemon over top, and serve with vegetables.
Carving a Chicken
A perfectly roasted chicken all but demands a deftly wielded knife and a sense of ceremony. The four steps below are easy to master and produce neat, elegant portions.
A Set chicken on its side with the breast away from you. Place a fork against the thigh to steady chicken and, using a carving knife, cut between the body and the leg to begin to separate the two.
B Pierce the breast with the fork to steady the chicken, and complete the separation of leg from body by working the knife through the connecting joint. Set the leg aside on the carving platter.
C Hold the breast down with the fork. Using the knife, make an incision alongside the wishbone. Make a deep cut along the breastbone to remove breast meat. Halve and set aside on carving platter.
D Separate the drumstick from the thigh by cutting through the connecting joint while holding the leg steady with the fork. Turn the chicken over and repeat preceding steps on the other side.