Serve with a green salad and a squeeze of lemon for any-day-of-the-week heaven.
How can something so simple so be SO good? It's the "simple" that makes this recipe an evergreen family favorite. This perfect pair brings out the best in each other. When chicken is well seasoned, trussed, and roasted in the oven, it releases its fat, browning and crisping its own skin for an authentically savory flavor. The excess chicken fat, in turn, flavors the potatoes, almost frying them in the oven for a truly mouthwatering side dish. If you have 15 minutes, you can pull this dish together.
Equipment: cutting board; chef’s knife; measuring spoons; large mixing bowl; wooden spoon; metal spatula; sheet pan or shallow roasting pan; tongs; kitchen twine; meat thermometer (optional)
Ingredients: 1, 3.5-4 lb. chicken, wings reserved 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided 3 thyme sprigs 3 garlic cloves, smashed
2 teaspoons garlic powder, divided 3 large Idaho potatoes 1 teaspoon dried rosemary 1 teaspoon kosher salt ¼ cup olive oil, divided
1 lemon, quartered (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Rinse the chicken, if necessary, and pat it dry inside and out. Remove any excess fat and trim the wings. Sprinkle the chicken cavity with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, then add the fresh thyme sprigs and garlic cloves inside. Sprinkle the outside of the chicken with remaining 1½ teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Truss the chicken and place it in a large, shallow roasting pan, on top of the two trimmed wings. Drizzle the chicken with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
3. Peel the potatoes and cut them lengthwise into sixths. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with rosemary, remaining teaspoon of garlic salt, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange the potatoes around the chicken in a single layer.
It's all about technique, not torture!
“Place the potato wedges facing the same direction so that it is easy to know which [pieces have been turned as you flip them over in the middle of the cooking process.”
4. Place the pan in the oven, with the legs facing the back, at 450°F degrees for 30 minutes. Do NOT open the oven door.
5. After 30 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and shut the door. Lower the heat to 350°F. Turn over each potato wedge using tongs, or a thin metal spatula if necessary, and return the pan to the oven to roast the chicken for another 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken thigh reaches 170°F.
6. Allow the chicken to rest at least 10-15 minutes before carving. Serve the chicken with the potatoes and lemon wedges.
Makes 4 servings.
