What’s more comforting or satisfying than a beautifully roasted chicken with fresh root vegetables? Likewise, how wonderful does the kitchen smell while everything is cooking?
The following recipe was prepared and shared with us by our friend, the late Chef Jim Whaley. To clarify, it is an adaptation of Thomas Keller’s Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables.
Recipe: CVap® Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables
Ingredients
- One 4 to 4 ½ lb. chicken
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- 6 thyme sprigs
- 2 large leeks
- 3 rutabagas (tennis-ball-sized)
- 3 turnips (tennis-ball-sized)
- 4 medium carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut in half
- 1 small onion, trimmed, leaving root end intact, and cut into quarters
- 8 red-skinned potatoes (small, golf-ball-sized)
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 4 tbsp. (2 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Instructions
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until it comes to room temperature.
- Preheat CVap Cook & Hold Oven to 170°F vapor/180°F air.
- Remove neck and innards if they are still in the cavity of the chicken. Next, using a paring knife, cut out the wishbone from the chicken. Generously season the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper, add three of the garlic cloves and five sprigs of thyme. Subsequently, massage the inside of the bird to infuse it with the flavors. Truss the chicken.
- Cut off the dark green leaves from the top of the leeks. Trim and discard the darkened outer layers. Trim the root ends, cutting them at a 45-degree angle. Slit the leeks lengthwise almost in half, starting ½ inch above the root ends. Rinse the leeks well under warm water.
- Cut off both ends of the rutabagas. Stand the rutabagas on end and cut away the skin, working from top to bottom and removing any tough outer layers. Cut into 3/4 inch wedges. Repeat with the turnips, cutting the wedges to match the size of the rutabagas.
- Combine all the vegetables, remaining garlic cloves, and thyme sprig in a large bowl. Toss with 1/4 cup of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables in a large cast-iron skillet or roasting pan.
- Rub the remaining oil over the chicken. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Make a nest in the center of the vegetables and nestle the chicken in it.
- Cut the butter into four or five pieces and place it over the chicken breast.
- Put the chicken in the CVap Cook and Hold Oven and roast for 1:15, or until the temperature registers 160°F in the meatiest portions of the bird and the juices run clear.
- Transfer the chicken to a carving board and rest. Just before serving, set the pan of vegetables over medium heat, turning and glazing them with the pan juices.
- Finally, cut the chicken into serving pieces, arrange over the vegetables, and serve.
