Nothin’ says “lovin'” like a well-prepared chicken. It’s one of the first things I learned to cook as an adult. Over time, my methods for making it have improved and I’ve fallen more in love with this comfort dish.
I have a tiny little garden right off my kitchen on my deck. I plant about 14 herbs and a few veggies every summer. At first, I thought this was just fun. But then, I found that it was a great way to save money on fresh herbs.
Typically, I like to brine my chicken. I just feel it gets rid of that “poultry” taste. I can’t describe it other than that, but I’m not a fan of that taste. So, with a nice brine, away it goes! You can do what you want.
Here, I’ll give you my basic method for roasting a chicken using fresh herbs. This recipe is great for company, in the winter with mashed potatoes, in the summer with a nice salad, as part of a meal prep because the leftovers are great. Basically, it can be a go-to.
What you’ll need:
A
A bunch of rosemary
A bunch of thyme
A bunch of parsley
A bunch of sage
A yellow onion
A few cloves of garlic
Salt and pepper
How to make it:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Place your bird in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Salt and pepper the inside of the bird.
- Cut the onion in half. One half, you’ll leave as it is. The other half, you’ll chop up to go around the bird.
- Rinse your herbs. Take half of them and bruise them with the back of your knife. Throw these inside of the bird with the onion.
- The other half of your herbs should be chopped up and sprinkled on and around your bird.
Rough chop your garlic. Throw some in and around the chicken.- Bake covered until chicken reaches 140 degrees.
- Uncover and let the skin get nice and brown. Make sure the juices run clear when you pierce the thigh.
*You don’t need to baste. Too much of a fuss.
*If you can make gravy, please do. The juices from this are well-seasoned and will make a delicious pan gravy to use on the chicken or rice or mashed potatoes.
Recommended wine: Butter Chardonnay. This Chardonnay lends itself well to pairing. The herbs in this chicken play extremely well with this wine. It’s creamy and bright. Butter can typically be found for less than $15 at any of the places you get wine.
