Roasted Chicken Pot-au-Feu

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 4 lb whole chicken, rinsed with cold water & pat dry
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • olive oil to coat saute pan
  • ¾ cup each seasonal uniformly cut or baby vegetables of choice - Chef DiBicarri uses Thumbelina carrots, blanched & peeled pearl onions, radishes, quartered & cored fennel, fingerling potatoes
  • 1-2 garlic cloves
  • pinch of salt
  • 2-3 ladles chicken stock or broth
  • ½ lb unsalted butter, room temperature
  • generous pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • ½ to 1 tbsp herbs of choice, finely chopped - Chef DiBicarri uses fresh oregano, thyme, tarragon & mint

Special Equipment

  • Oven-proof pan
  • Instant-read thermometer

How-to

  1. Preheat oven to 400-450º
  2. Rinse chicken under cold water and pat dry with towel
  3. To make compound butter, whip butter, salt and fresh herbs together and season with cayenne pepper
  4. Gently loosen the skin of the chicken. Place compound butter under the skin and gently press down to distribute the butter. Truss chicken with kitchen twine to keep butter inside
  5. Place chicken in a 400-450º oven for 20-30 minutes (skin should be taking on a golden crispy skin at this point)
  6. Heat olive oil In a large saute pan or pot. Add vegetables, chicken stock and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and saute for 5 minutes
  7. Reduce oven temperature to 350º. Remove chicken from oven and place in pot with vegetables. Place pot in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes. Check with an instant-read thermometer at thickest part of the chicken (innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast, not touching bone as it will read higher) for a temperature of 165º