Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken and Aromatics
- 1 whole chicken, giblets removed
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 garlic, halved crosswise
- 15 g fresh sage, divided
Vegetable Bed
- 800 g baby yellow potatoes, halved
- 2 yellow onions, cut into thick wedges
Seasoning
- 45 ml olive oil, divided
- 15 g kosher salt, divided
- 5 g black pepper, freshly ground, divided
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Arrange an oven rack in the lower middle position and preheat the oven to 200 degrees C (400 degrees F).
Combine the halved potatoes, onion wedges, and roughly torn sage leaves in the roasting pan. Toss with 15ml of olive oil, 5g of salt, and 2g of black pepper until evenly coated. Spread them out to form a bed for the chicken.
Thoroughly pat the entire surface and cavity of the chicken dry with paper towels. Wash your hands and properly sanitize any surfaces touched by raw poultry to prevent cross-contamination.
Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the lemon halves, garlic head halves, and the remaining whole sprigs of fresh sage.
Tie the legs of the chicken together securely with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips back and underneath the bird.
Rub the outside of the chicken evenly with the remaining 30ml of olive oil, then season uniformly with the remaining 10g of salt and 3g of black pepper.
Place the seasoned chicken directly on top of the bed of potatoes and onions in the roasting pan, breast side up.
Roast uncovered in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the skin is deeply browned and crisp. The juices dropping from the bird will baste and flavor the vegetables below.
Insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, avoiding the bone. The temperature must reach at least 74 degrees C (165 degrees F) for safe consumption.
Carefully transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving. Leave the vegetables in the pan to stay warm, tossing them once in the pan juices.
Chef's Notes
- To elevate this dish, try dry-brining. Season the bird heavily with salt 12 to 24 hours in advance and leave it uncovered in the fridge. This seasons the meat deeply and dries out the skin for maximum crispiness.
- Save the chicken carcass, the roasted lemon halves, and the roasted garlic skins to make an incredibly rich and flavorful bone broth.
- The bed of potatoes and onions acts as a natural roasting rack, lifting the chicken to circulate air while simultaneously soaking up the rendering chicken fat. Do not overlap the vegetables too much or they will steam rather than roast.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store chicken and vegetables in airtight containers. Carve meat from the bone before storing to save space.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze pulled cooked meat and broth made from bones. Potatoes do not freeze well as their texture becomes grainy.
Reheating: Reheat in a 175 C oven until warmed through, or gently microwave. Skin will not remain crispy when microwaved.
