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Splayed Roast Chicken With Spring Vegetables

Sarah Waldman | June 5, 2017

This recipe comes to us from Sarah Waldman's cookbook Feeding a Family. It's the perfect meal to celebrate the first warm evening in the spring or any other special occasion.

Level
Intermediate
Prep Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Serves
4-6
Cook it With Our
chicken and spring veggies

Ingredients

  • 1, 4-5 pound whole chicken
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 6 grinds black pepper
  • 1 lemon, quartered
  • 1 leek
  • 1 bunch asparagus
  • 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 5 garlic cloves, smashed, peeled
  • 6 scallions

Directions

  1. Place a 15 Inch Skillet in the oven to preheat to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave the pan in the oven for 45 minutes as the oven gets to temperature. (If your oven is dirty it will smoke, so look it over before cranking up the heat.)
  2. While the oven and pan preheat, place the chicken on a cutting board and season it all over with salt and pepper. Using a sharp knife, cut the skin connecting the legs to the body. Splay the thighs open until you feel the joint pop on each side, then place 2 of the lemon wedges inside the chicken. Set aside. 
  3. Prep the leeks by first trimming off the rough dark green top and root bottom. Slice the white and light green part in half vertically and the into thin half rounds. Rinse the sliced leeks in a large pot of water to remove the trapped dirt. Drain. 
  4. Prep the asparagus by trimming the ends and slicing the stalks vertically into thin sticks. 
  5. Prep the scallions by trimming the root ends and dark green parts, and slicing in half vertically. 
  6. When the pan is ready, carefully remove it from the oven and pour in 1 tablespoon of the oil. Transfer the chicken, breast-side up, to the hot skillet. Drizzle the bird with another tablespoon of the oil. Roast for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, toss in all the veggies (you'll have to use a spatula to squish everything in around the bird), the two remaining lemon quarters, and another tablespoon of oil. Roast for 5 minutes more, then stir again. Continue roasting for 10 more minutes until vegetables are soft and the skin is golden. Remove the pan from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then carve and serve with the pan juices and vegetables. 
SPLAYED ROAST CHICKEN WITH SPRING VEGETABLES
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Contributed By: Sarah Waldman
Sarah Waldman is a food writer and recipe developer who lives on Martha's Vineyard. Other recipes from Sarah can be found in her book, Feeding a Family, as well as on her website

 

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