Equipment Needed:
- Kitchen Twine
- Xtrema Dutch Oven or 5.5 versa Stock Pot
Ingredients
- 4 medium Yukon potatoes, quartered
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
- 3 medium sweet potatoes , peeled and cut into chunks
- 3 medium yellow or sweet onions, peeled and quartered
- 2 lemons, quartered
- Olive oil/ Avocado Oil/ Ghee
- Salt and pepper to taste
Herbed butter
- Tablespoons unsalted butter or ghee softened
- 7 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 3 teaspoons fresh rosemary and parsley leaves, minced
- 3 teaspoons thyme leaves
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the chicken
- 1 5–6-pound whole pasture raised chicken - giblets removed
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 5-6 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 5-6 sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Prepare the vegetable bed: Place the cut-up vegetables for the vegetable bed (potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, lemon) in the bottom of a large Xtrema Dutch oven pot, or large stock pot. Toss the medley with a few drizzles of olive oil, plus salt and pepper to taste. Place this aside for later.
- Make the herbed butter: In a medium bowl, combine the herbed butter/ghee ingredients: softened butter, minced garlic, minced rosemary, thyme leaves, lemon zest, Kosher salt and pepper (pinch). Set aside.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towel thoroughly, including inside the cavity. Rub half of the prepared herbed butter under the skin (carefully separate the skin from the flesh to create "pockets" for the butter, mainly around the breast and legs).
- Then, rub the remaining half butter on the outside, all over the top, legs, and wings. **Tip: Patting dry the chicken thoroughly will help you get crispier skin.**
- Stuff the cavity of the chicken with 1 quartered and peeled onion, 1 quartered lemon, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, and 2 sprigs fresh thyme. Tie the chicken legs with kitchen twine. Note: Tying the legs with kitchen twine helps with even cooking and makes it more presentable. If you don't have kitchen twine, you don't have to tie it. It will be fine.
- Place the chicken in the Xtrema Dutch oven, breast side up. Tuck in wings under the chicken or clip the wing tips to prevent them from burning. Place the remaining 3 sprigs of rosemary and 3 sprigs of thyme around the chicken.
- Place cover with the lid securely, and roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes COVERED. Then, UNCOVER and roast for another 30 minute to allow the skin to crisp up and turn more golden brown. If the vegetables look like they are burning, add a few splashes of chicken or veggie broth. The chicken is ready when a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F.
- Let the chicken and veggies rest in the Dutch oven for 20 minutes OR leave in your Xtrema for a perfect centerpiece to any dinner table!
