Rosemary and Thyme Oven-Roasted Chicken

Our last article on cast iron cookware – 4 Commonly Asked Questions About Cast Iron Cookware – ended with stating..”Come back later and we will show you how to oven roast a whole chicken using a 10.25 inch cast iron skillet“. Will you came back and here’s the recipe.

Rosemary and Thyme Oven-Roasted Chicken and here is what you will need:

Most cooks and those that prepare oven roasted chicken will use lemon, but I have chosen to use an orange.

1 whole roasting chicken, approximately 4-5 pounds

1 large yellow onion or 2 medium, cut into uniformly thick slices

1 whole orange, cut into quarters

8-10 cloves garlic, crushed and skins removed

4 tablespoons butter, cut into slices

2 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves removed and chopped, plus 3 whole sprigs

3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves removed, plus 3 whole sprigs

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt

You can opt to make some vegetables of your chose, while roasting the chicken. We will prepare some potatoes with our chicken.

1 batch Oven-Roasted Red Potatoes* (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425˚ degrees.

Remove giblets from chicken cavity and discard. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.

If you are preparing the potatoes, do so according to the recipe instructions in a 12” pre-seasoned cast iron skillet. As a suggestion the recipe can be for Oven-Roasted Red Potatoes.

Once potatoes have been browned on the stove top, push them to the outer edge of the pan and placed sliced onions in the center. Otherwise, omit the potatoes and just place sliced onion on bottom of skillet.

Set chicken on top of onions and fill cavity with sliced oranges, garlic cloves and whole sprigs of rosemary and thyme. For a nicer appearance, tie legs together with kitchen twine.

Add chopped rosemary and thyme leaves to a flat plate and press butter slices into the herb mixture. Repeat on the other side. Use a knife to separate the skin from the breast meat and slide the herb butter slices in between.

Drizzle over top of chicken breast with some olive oil. Use fingers or pastry brush to coat the exposed surface, and season generously with salt and pepper, to taste.

Place skillet in oven and roast for approximately 1 hour or until juices run clear when you cut into the area near the base of the thigh. Actual cooking time will vary depending on how large the bird is and individual oven settings.

Remove skillet from oven, and tent with aluminum foil. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

When ready to serve carve chicken meat from carcass, plate and serve with potatoes and leafy greens. The meat should be very succulent and juicy with hints of citrus flavor. Enjoy!!

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