Spring Roast Chicken Recipes

ROAST CHICKEN WITH SPRING VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper, then place skin-side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Squeeze 1/2 lemon over the chicken and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the potatoes and radishes in half and cut the scallions into thirds. Toss the potatoes, radishes, carrots and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Remove the chicken from the oven and scatter the vegetables around it. Continue to roast until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is golden and cooked through, about 20 more minutes. Squeeze the remaining 1/2 lemon over the chicken and vegetables. Top with the dill and season with salt.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH SPRING VEGETABLE GRAVY

Steps:

• Let the chicken sit at room temperature 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425˚. Remove 4 strips zest from the lemon with a vegetable peeler. Cut the lemon in half and set aside. Toss the sliced fennel, garlic, onion and lemon zest with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a roasting pan; set a rack on top. Place the chicken breast-side up on the rack. Squeeze 1/2 lemon over the chicken, then rub with the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; season inside and out with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then place the squeezed lemon half and fennel tops (breaking to fit) in the cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
• Transfer the chicken to the oven and roast 45 minutes. Mix the broth and vermouth in a measuring cup. Spoon a few tablespoons over the chicken and into the pan. Continue roasting, basting every 15 minutes with the broth mixture, until the juices run clear and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (not touching the bone) registers 165˚, 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes (halfway through, tip the cavity juices into the pan). You should have about 1/2 cup of the broth mixture left.
• Let the chicken rest 10 minutes in the pan. Tip the cavity juices into the pan again, then transfer the chicken to a cutting board; let rest 30 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the rack from the pan and pour in any remaining broth mixture, scraping up any browned bits; gently smash the vegetables. Pour the broth and vegetables into a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium saucepan; press to release the juices (discard the solids).
• Bring the juices to a simmer over medium heat; season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat, add the butter and swirl to melt. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice from the remaining 1/2 lemon. Carve the chicken and serve with the gravy.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH GREEN GARLIC, HERBS AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Season chicken inside and out with salt and pepper.
• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Peel the potatoes, cut them in half, then cut halves into 2 or 3 thick wedges. Boil potatoes for about 5 minutes, until barely done, then drain and cool.
• As potatoes cool, peel outer layer of garlic stalks and cut off roots. Slice both tender white and green parts crosswise into thin rings, then sprinkle with salt and roughly chop to resemble "minced." (You should have about 1 cup of chopped alliums, whether you use green garlic, or a combination of scallions and chives.) Transfer chopped garlic to a dish and cover with olive oil.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange potatoes on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Set the seasoned chicken on top of the potatoes. Tip the chicken up and transfer the garlic-oil mixture into the bird's cavity, then place breast side down, with potatoes surrounding.
• Take a generous handful of herb sprigs (stem-on) and stuff into the cavity.
• Roast, uncovered, for about 1 hour until chicken is nicely browned and thigh juices run clear when probed with a paring knife. Remove chicken, tipping the inside juices onto the potatoes, and keep warm on a plate.
• Raise oven temperature to 425 degrees. Using a spatula, move the potatoes around the roasting pan, allowing juices to coat potatoes well. Return to oven to brown potatoes. Baste potatoes every 5 minutes for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are golden. Sprinkle with parsley. Carve bird and serve.

SPRING ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the chicken thighs in a large shallow roasting tin, season and toss with the olive oil, lemon zest and wedges, shallots, rosemary and tarragon. Arrange the chicken thighs, skin-side up, and roast for 40-50 mins until the skin is crisp and golden.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the asparagus for 3 mins or until tender, adding the courgettes and peas for the final minute.
• Drain the vegetables and toss in with the chicken, coating well with the cooking juices. Crumble over the feta and serve.

CRISPY CHICKEN THIGHS WITH SPRING VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Using kitchen shears, remove bones from chicken thighs, keeping skin and flesh intact; discard bones. Season chicken all over with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper.
• Toss asparagus, potatoes, radishes, 2 Tbsp. oil, and remaining 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a large bowl. Transfer everything but the asparagus to a rimmed baking sheet and roast 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, grease another rimmed baking sheet with 1 tsp. oil. Heat remaining 1 tsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Working in batches, sear chicken skin side down until skin is crisp and golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Transfer skin side up to prepared sheet. After all chicken is seared (reserve fat in skillet), transfer baking sheet to oven and roast until chicken is cooked though, 8-10 minutes.
• When you open oven to roast chicken, remove baking sheet with vegetables, arrange asparagus over potatoes and radishes, then continue to roast until asparagus is crisp-tender and potatoes and radishes are well browned and tender, 8-10 minutes more (it should take the same amount of time to finish as the chicken).
• Meanwhile, carefully pour off excess fat from reserved skillet, leaving browned bits on the bottom. Add garlic, anchovy paste, and 1 Tbsp. butter to skillet and cook over medium heat until garlic is softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine, scraping up browned bits with a spatula or wooden spoon, and continue to cook, stirring, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in lemon juice. Add remaining butter one piece at a time, swirling and stirring after each addition to fully emulsify sauce. Stir in 1 Tbsp. parsley.
• Transfer chicken and vegetables to a platter, then pour sauce over. Top with more parsley before serving.

ALL-IN-ONE SPRING ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Sit the chicken in a good-sized roasting dish or tin. Push your fingers between the breast and skin to separate, push in some of the softened butter and gently spread over the breasts without tearing the skin. Rub the rest of the butter all over the outside of the chicken. Season well and roast for 30 mins.
• Toss the new potatoes with the olive oil and plenty of seasoning. When the chicken comes out, scatter the spuds around it and toss with the juices in the dish, too. Put back in the oven for another 30 mins.
• Stir the carrots into the potatoes and put back into the oven for another 20 mins.
• Check the chicken is cooked by piercing the thigh and making sure the juices run clear. Stir the broad beans and peas into the other veg with a splash of water and put back in the oven for 5 mins. Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil and rest for 10 mins. Scatter over and stir in the herbs before serving.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH SPRING VEGETABLES AND LEMON-HONEY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in lower third of oven so vertical chicken will not touch top of oven.
• Place removable insert from angel food cake pan (or use commercial roasting stand) in a 10" shallow pan (like a deep dish pie plate).
• Prepare chicken, trimming off all fat.
• Rub the chicken with oil, season with paprika, salt and pepper inside and out.
• Prop chicken, with legs down, on the tube of the cake pan insert, or vertical roaster.
• Toss prepared vegetables with oil, salt and pepper; keeping asparagus separate from potatoes and carrots.
• Arrange potatoes and carrots around the base of the chicken, then roast for 30 minutes.
• For the basting liquid, combine honey and lemon juice.
• After the chicken has roasted 30 minutes, brush it with some of the mixture.
• Add asparagus to pan, then roast 15 more minutes.
• Baste a second time, then roast chicken until it reached an internal temperature of 170 degrees in the thigh, about 15 more minutes.
• Allow chicken to rest 15 minutes before carving.
• While chicken is resting, prepare the sauce.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, sauté shallots and ginger in 1 TBS unsalted butter, cooking till soft.
• Add broth, wine, lemon juice, and honey.
• Simmer 15 minutes, or until reduced by half.
• Strain into a clean saucepan.
• Whisk in cream; bring to a boil.
• Mash 1 TBS unsalted butter and flour together.
• Add butter and flour mixture to finish the sauce and cook until slightly thickened.
• Stir in lemon zest, chives, and seasoning just before serving.
• Serve sauce over chicken and veggies.

CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND SPICY SPRING ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Very thinly slice 1 lemon; tease out seeds. Place chickens on a rimmed baking sheet; season outsides and insides all over with salt and black pepper. Scatter red onions, three-quarters of spring onions, and half of lemon slices around.
• Cook green garlic, oil, and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until butter melts and garlic starts to lightly sizzle; season with salt and black pepper. Pour over chickens, letting some of the mixture drip onto onions and lemon.
• Roast chickens, tossing onions and lemon and basting chickens with drippings in baking sheet occasionally, until chickens are golden brown all over and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 160°F and onions and lemon are softened and starting to brown, 80 minutes-2 hours.
• Remove baking sheet from oven and transfer chickens to a cutting board, leaving onions and lemon behind. Place bread slices on baking sheet and turn once to coat in chicken fat. Return baking sheet with bread and vegetables to oven and roast until vegetables are starting to sizzle and crisp and bread is toasted, 10-15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, thinly slice remaining spring onions and toss in a medium bowl with parsley and remaining lemon slices. Season with salt, black pepper, and enough red pepper flakes to achieve your desired level of spiciness.
• Carve chickens and transfer to a large shallow bowl or platter (or serve right on the cutting board). Pour any remaining juices on baking sheet over chicken and scatter roasted onions and lemon slices around, followed by raw spring onion mixture. Slice each toast into a few pieces and serve alongside.