Whole Roasted Chicken With Homemade Tapenade Recipes

WHOLE ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.
• Arrange the pearl onions and carrots in the bottom of a roasting pan. Drizzle with the wine. Set a roasting rack in the center of the pan on top of the vegetables and brush with the oil so that the chicken doesn't stick.
• Place the chicken, breast-side up, on the rack. Sprinkle the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Put the pan in the center of the oven and roast until the juices run clear or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees F. (I calculate cooking about 15 minutes per pound of bird, so for a 4-pound bird I check the juices and temperature after 1 hour of cooking.)
• Remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to rest in the pan for at least 10 minutes or up to 20.
• Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, gently placing it breast-side down so the juices can flow through the breast meat as it rests for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
• Place the roasting pan with the vegetables on a burner on the stove and add the chicken stock and mustard. Simmer gently, scraping any bits of chicken fat and skin from the bottom. Let the sauce simmer a little with the vegetables, 2 to 3 minutes. Add half the butter and cook, about 1 minute. Remove the vegetables from the pan to a plate. Add the lemon juice, half the tarragon and 1 more tablespoon butter. Allow the butter to melt, then remove the gravy to a serving bowl.
• Turn the chicken breast-side up on a cutting board and carve. (The cut side will need some seasoning.) Rub the remaining butter onto the carved chicken breast meat and season with salt. Sprinkle with the remaining tarragon. Serve the chicken with the sauce and vegetables on the side.

OLIVE TAPENADE CRUSTED CHICKEN AND QUINOA WITH ROASTED GARLIC, ROASTED RED PEPPERS AND BASIL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a blender or food processor, combine all the olives, parsley, capers, thyme, and anchovies. Process until mixture forms a thick paste. Place chicken on prepared baking sheet. Top only 4 of the 8 chicken pieces with the olive tapenade mixture. Season the other 4 of the 8 chicken pieces with salt and pepper, to taste. Wrap garlic cloves in foil and place alongside chicken. Roast chicken and garlic for 25 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and garlic cloves are golden brown and tender.
• Meanwhile, cook quinoa according to package directions. When liquid is absorbed, fold in red peppers, about 1/3 of the roasted garlic cloves and basil and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.
• Serve half of the chicken and all of the quinoa with this meal and reserve extra chicken and extra garlic cloves for future meals.

WHOLE ROASTED GO-TO CHICKEN

Steps:

• To make garlic butter: In a food processor, combine all ingredients. Blend until a perfectly smooth paste forms.
• To make chicken: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. With clean hands, wash the chicken, remove the giblets, and pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels. Lightly grease the bottom of a sturdy roasting pan. Salt the inside of the chicken with 1 teaspoon sea salt and stuff with the lemon wheels, thyme, rosemary, and garlic. Using butcher's twine, truss the chicken (breast side up), making sure to tuck in the wings and legs tightly. Place the chicken in the roasting pan and generously baste it with the garlic butter. Cover the chicken loosely with aluminum foil and roast for approximately 2 hours. (Cook whole roasting chickens, fully thawed, 20 to 25 minutes per pound.) Remove the foil for the last 30 minutes of roasting time. Make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, the juices run clear, and the flesh is firm to the touch.