Dutch Oven Whole Roasted Chicken

I love the way roasted chicken smells; it reminds me so much of when my mom would make homemade chicken noodle soup when I was little. Food made from scratch always has a more wholesome smell and taste to it. I enjoy the way the scent permeates through my home and when you walk through the door you just know something good is cooking.

Cooking anything in cast is an important skill to learn. My cast iron Dutch Oven is actually my most used kitchen tool and I love the way it perfectly cooks everything. Dutch Ovens create an optimal cooking environment for a moist and tender chicken. The cast creates an even cooking temperature as well as locks in the moisture so everything stays extremely juicy.

I chose to cook my chicken over cubed potatoes. When the juices and spices drip down from the chicken while cooking it makes them taste amazing. The other benefit is the potatoes keep the chicken off the bottom of the pot. If you don’t want to use potatoes you can use a trivet or balls of tinfoil; I have also used cubed sweet potatoes and whole onions as well. You will just want to make sure that when you put the lid on the chicken is not touching the top.

I like my chicken heavily seasoned. You will want to adjust your seasoning to your flavor preferences. After rubbing olive oil all over the chicken I used a combination of garlic, lemon pepper seasoning and paprika. I also pour a half cup of white wine in the bottom to help give more depth to all the flavors. After cooking for an hour with the lid on you will want to remove the lid so the skin can crisp up. I cook for about another 45 minutes after I take the lid off; checking frequently towards the end with a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken cooks to 165 degrees Fahrenheit internally.

Ingredients:

Chicken:

• Whole chicken (thawed and rinsed)
• Olive oil
• Minced Garlic
• Lemon Pepper Seasoning
• Paprika
• 1/2 cup white wine

Mashed Potatoes:

• 4 medium potatoes – peeled and cubed
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Gravy:

• 1 cup liquid from the pot
• 1 t corn starch
• 1/4 cup cold water

Method:

Chicken:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place cubed potatoes in the bottom of the Dutch Oven.
3. Pour white wine over the potatoes.
4. Place chicken on top of potatoes breast side up.
5. Gently rub olive oil and minced garlic onto the chicken skin and inside the body cavity.
6. Sprinkle lemon pepper and paprika onto the top of the chicken and gently rub both spices inside the body cavity.
7. Place lid on Dutch Oven and bake covered for one hour.
8. Take lid off and bake for another 45 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit and is brown and crispy.
9. Pull chicken out and let rest for 20 minutes before cutting.

Mashed potatoes:

1. Gently scoop potatoes out of the pot leaving behind the excess liquid.
2. Add potatoes to a pan and heat on the stove on low.
3. Add milk and sour cream and mash to desired consistency.
4. Serve immediately.

Gravy:

1. Measure out one cup of liquid out of the pot.
2. Add liquid to a pan on the stove and heat until simmering.
3. Mix cornstarch and water together in a separate bowl until the cornstarch has dissolved.
4. Pour cornstarch slurry into pan drippings and stir vigorously until the gravy starts to thicken.
5. Take off the heat and serve immediately.