The Best Roast Chicken Recipe

1 3.5-lb organic chicken, split (see above)

kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces baby portabella mushrooms

1/2 tsp dried Thyme

1/2 tsp freshly chopped parsley

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 lemon

1. Preheat your oven to 475 degrees. On your stovetop, heat a large fry pan on high heat(big enough to fit the bird, and one that can withstand high heat in the oven). Add 2T canola oil to the pan. While the pan heats up, make sure your bird is patted as dry as possible. When the pan is smoking hot - gently place the bird SKIN side down in the pan. Season the top of bird with salt and pepper. Immediately place the entire pan in the 475 degree oven for 10 minutes.

2. Carefully remove hot pan from oven. flip the bird over. The skin should be beautifully golden and crisp. Generously season the skin side with salt and pepper. Return pan to the oven. Roast another 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven, place chicken on a plate and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.

3. Put the hot pan (careful! the pan is very hot still!) on the stovetop. Discard all but 3T of the pan drippings. Add mushrooms and fry until softened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, dried Thyme, lemon. Reduce the sauce by half, about 2 minutes more. Finish with a sprinkling of chopped parsley. Serve chicken with sauce. Eat. Enjoy. Eat more. Can you tell I REALLY love this recipe?!

Fresh Artichokes

I’m so frugal-minded that I have a hard time purchasing a large, heavy artichoke and after trimming, end up with a tiny, 3-bite bit. My preference is to steam the whole thing, and slowly savor each and every leaf with a dipping in home made bagna caulda. But today, I was determined to use it in my Roast Chicken sauce. Here’s a step-by-step on how to trim, complete with photos to teach you.

After trimming the artichoke, I sliced thinly and placed in a bowl with lemon wedge to prevent browning while I heat up my pan. In a small fry pan, heat a little olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 tsp minced garlic, fry for 20 seconds until fragrant. Add artichokes and 1/4 cup of chicken broth. Turn heat to low and cook until artichokes are softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside until you are ready to make the pan sauce. Then, just add the sauteed artichokes to the pan sauce in place of the mushrooms in above recipe. Enjoy!

source.