One thing I am known for amongst my tribe is my famous roasted chicken.

I have tried tons of different methods, stuffing, sauces, techniques, temperatures, you name it I tried it. And after years and hundreds of chickens this is my go-to recipe for a classic roast chicken that's perfect every time.

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole organic or free ranged chicken

1 stick of butter

1 head of garlic

1 pint of cherry tomatoes (either on the vine or off is fine)

10 sprigs of thyme

kosher salt 

1 lemon 

Parsley for Garnish 

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F 

Grab that bird and sprinkle inside a 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, stuff her with a whole head of garlic, half of the lemon, and 10 sprigs of thyme (does not have to be exact, if you like more lemon use the whole lemon, if you like rosemary use that, if you hate garlic––don't use it!). Use what you like or have on hand! 

Step 2:

I use my lodge cast iron pan and I put my chicken in it BREAST SIDE DOWN and pat it completely dry and sprinkle with some kosher salt. When I put my chicken in the oven the rack is in the middle and I put the chicken thighs towards the back corner of the oven, the legs take longer to cook so this placement I find the best for cooking times and tenderness. The breast side down trick you still get the crispy back skin, but the breasts stay super tender and juicy this way. Give it a go! I use the convection feature on my oven.

Step 3:

After about 1 hour and 10 minutes at 425 degrees F on convection roast, I pull the chicken out and put in the pan 1 stick of butter and the pint of cherry tomatoes to the pan and put it back in the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes. The cherry tomatoes will start to burst and the butter melts mixing with the chicken juices creating a seriously yummy sauce. 

Total cook time is 1 hour and 15-20 minutes for me to get my chicken to 165 degrees F. Check your chicken temp in the thickest part of the bird to make sure its fully cooked before pulling out to eat.

Step 4:

Take the chicken out of the pan and let it rest on your cutting board for 5-10 minutes to let the juices settle and not leak out. I cut the chicken down the backbone and then across into 4 equal pieces. Every piece has either a wing or a leg that way and you can choose if you like dark or white meat. 

I pour the sauce with the tomatoes into a serving dish and place the 4 cut chicken pieces on top. In the empty pan I then toast fresh bread into croutons or sliced baguette toasts and place those around the chicken to soap up the juices. 

I top with Maldon salt and freshly torn parsley. You can decorate the sides with the dish other half of the lemon sliced and parsley stems for a color pop. 

I often roast veggies alongside my chicken on a sheet pan and add it to the serving dish. Squash, broccolini, sautéed kale, fingerling potatoes are all great additions to this dish. 

You can reserve the sauce on the side for people to drizzle on top of their plate as well. 

For side dishes I love to serve this with mashed potatoes, polenta, or farro and whatever veggies I have on hand that I roasted. 

Bon Appetite and tag @thehommarket with your amazing chickens! 

Britt