#whole chicken

Cast-Iron Roast Chicken with Crispy Potatoes and Watercress Salad

Servings: 4

STUFF
Chicken:
1 3½–4-pound whole chicken
Kosher salt
1½ pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed, thinly sliced crosswise
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Freshly ground black pepper

Salad:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon best-quality red wine vinegar
½ small garlic clove, finely grated
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
¼ cup olive oil
2 small bunches watercress, tough stems trimmed (about 10 cups)

STEPS
Chicken:
Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season generously with salt, inside and out. (We use 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt per lb.) Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Let sit 1 hour to allow salt to penetrate, or chill, uncovered, up to 1 day ahead.

Place a rack in upper third of oven and set a 12" cast-iron skillet or 3-qt. enameled cast-iron baking dish on rack. Preheat oven to 425°.

Meanwhile, toss potatoes, butter, thyme, and 1 Tbsp. oil in a large bowl to coat; season with salt and pepper.

Once oven reaches temperature, pat chicken dry with paper towels and lightly coat with half of remaining oil; sprinkle with dry rub, if using. Drizzle remaining oil into hot skillet (this helps keep the chicken from sticking and tearing the skin). Place chicken in the center of skillet and arrange potatoes around. Roast until potatoes are golden brown and crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breasts registers 155°, 50–60 minutes (temperature will climb to 165° as chicken rests). Let chicken rest in skillet at least 20 minutes and up to 45 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a cutting board and carve. Serve with potatoes.

Salad:
Whisk mustard, vinegar, and garlic in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper, then gradually stream in oil, whisking constantly. Whisk until dressing is emulsified and thick.

Add watercress to dressing, season with more salt and pepper, and gently toss until watercress is evenly coated (you want to be careful not to bruise or wilt greens when tossing, so use a light hand). Pile salad lightly onto plates.

Shaheen Peerbhai & Jennie Levitt’s Cold-Oven Roast Chicken

Servings: 4
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes

STUFF
8 chicken thighs (or 1 whole chicken)
Coarse sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled but kept whole
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme
4 to 5 fresh sage leaves
Peel and juice of 1 lemon (the yellow part of the peel only, using a vegetable peeler)
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

STEPS
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and rub it all over with coarse sea salt. Loosen the skin with your fingertips and rub the salt into the flesh, and then pull the skin back over it. Let the salted chicken rest for 15 minutes. (If you have time to do this for longer, even overnight in the refrigerator, do!)

Coat the bottom of a lidded cast iron pot (or another ovenproof pot) with the olive oil. (Choose a large pot with enough room that the chicken won’t be too packed in—it should have a bit of room to breathe around each piece.) Add the garlic cloves, rosemary, thyme, sage, and lemon peel. Place the chicken on top (skin side up for thighs, breast side up for whole chicken). Squeeze the lemon juice over it, and then season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot with the lid.

Place the pot in a cold oven. Turn up the temperature to 450°F (225°C) and cook the chicken for 30 minutes for thighs or 45 for whole chicken, then remove the lid and cook until the skin is golden and crisped, about 15 minutes. To make sure the chicken is cooked, the flesh shouldn’t be pink on the inside or should measure 165° F (75° C) with an instant-read thermometer. If the juices in the bottom evaporate too quickly and look like they’re beginning to burn, you can pour a little water in the bottom of the pan.

Remove the pot from the oven and let the chicken cool to warm or room temperature to serve. Serve the chicken with spoonfuls of the pan juices and garlic.

Tip: When using the chicken in salads, discard the herb sprigs, shred the chicken into the pot, and coat in its juices.

Maple-Glazed Roasted Chicken with Mashed Sweet Potatoes 

Ingredients for Chicken 

1 whole chicken 

Seasoning blend [may or may not use all of it]: 6 tbsp kosher salt, 6 tbsp ground black pepper, 2 tbsp Herbes de Provence, 1 tbsp ground rosemary, 1 tbsp granulated lemon, 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes 

Aromatics: yellow onion, garlic, fresh herbs (for stuffing inside – optional) 

Olive oil 

Ingredients for Maple Glaze 

1 cup maple syrup 

½ cup barbecue sauce (I used Williams-Sonoma Honey Chipotle barbecue sauce) 

1 tbsp honey 

½ tbsp kosher salt 

Ingredients for Mashed Sweet Potatoes 

3 large sweet potatoes, diced into medium chunks

1 ½ tbsp chili powder 

¼ cup raw honey 

3 garlic cloves, minced 

2 tsp cinnamon

½ cup +/- heavy cream 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions for Chicken 

Preheat your oven to 430 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the oven has preheated to the correct temperature, heat a cast iron pan for 25 minutes. 

To prepare your chicken, dry the skin with paper towels – a dried surface ensures that the skin will become crispy in the oven. 

Generously rub olive oil all over the bird and season liberally, the inside and outside. 

If you are using aromatics, stuff them inside of the bird along with the seasoning and tie the legs together with wet kitchen twine.

NOTE: Soaking the kitchen twine in water a few minutes before using ensures that it will not burn in the oven. 

Once the cast iron is preheated, quickly place the bird into the pan and return to the oven for about 50 minutes or until the breast meat registers 150 degrees Fahrenheit internally. 

Once the breast meat registers 150 degrees internally, turn your oven to broil.

Generously glaze the chicken and broil for 1 minute.

Apply one more coating of glaze and broil until skin is caramelized.

Allow chicken to rest until breast meat comes to temperature (165 degrees Fahrenheit).

Directions for Maple Glaze

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and adjust to your preferred taste. 

Directions for Mashed Sweet Potatoes 

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the potatoes until tender. 

Once the potatoes are tender, drain them and return them to the pot. 

Add in the seasonings. Mash the potatoes. 

Adjust to your taste before adding the heavy cream.

Mash and whip until smooth. 

Cut your chicken and serve.

Enjoy!