Fauxtisserie Chicken
July was absolutely bonkers around here. Dan and I pretty much tag-teamed real-life, as we took turns going out of town all month long. The pups were NOT happy about this arrangement. Jelly's gotten extra clingy as a result, and is never not snuggled up next to me now, but I suppose there are worse things in this world than having a cuddly 1-year-old yellow lab hanging around. It's pretty buhnnoying when I'm trying to do yoga, though.
Anyway, I'm dedicating the next month to ~*chillin.*~ I'm planning to make time to do treat yoself things like give myself a manicure or go to fancy ice cream shops. I've already busted through looots of Seinfeld episodes on Hulu and I picked up a sweet mid century side table (well Dan carried it for me) off the side of the street today that will make for a marvelous lil DIY project.
And this "fauxtisserie" chicken will surely make an appearance or two on the kitchen table since it's my new faaaaave. If you're thinking why would I turn on my oven? It's August! please just let me have this; mounds of laundry does something to a gal.
I saw the idea for "fauxtisserie" on Bon Appetit and almost immediately flew out the door to the farmer's market to get me a roaster. Ah, the promise of a roasted chicken, SMOTHERED in mayonnaise, atop some chewy French bread, and a Bibb lettuce salad on the side. It just makes me want to shout, "YES to staying in more!" like Liz Lemon would say. Slow-roasting your chx makes so much sense to me now that I've done it once. I never want to eat a chicken any other way ever again. I'm also thinking I kinda want to slow roast my Thanksgiving turkey this year. I like to live dangerously.
Recipe adapted from this one by Bon Appetit.
"Fauxtisserie" Chicken
- 1 4-ish lb chicken
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 Tablespoons finely chopped oregano
- 2 Tablespoons thyme, removed from stems
- 2 teaspoons dried mustard
- 6 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lemon
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 head of garlic
- any spare, remaining herbs
Cooking Directions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Yes, 300. We're going low and slow.
- Prepare your chicken. Remove gibblet bag and pat dry with a paper towel, discarding towel immediately and washing your hands well after. Place chicken in your final cooking vessel--I like to use a cast iron skillet.
- In a small bowl, combine red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme, mustard, olive oil and the juice of your one lemon. Rub mixture all over chicken, evenly dispersing herbs if clumps form.
- Wash hands well. Season chicken generously all over with salt and freshly ground pepper. I probably use at least 4 or 5 hefty pinches of salt--and don't forget to season the cavity too!
- Cut head of garlic in half "against the grain," so that you're exposing each clove. Stuff both halves of the garlic head into the chicken cavity. Also stuff in the lemon halves that you've juiced and a handful of spare thyme and/or oregano you might have leftover.
- Place chicken in oven and roast for about three hours, basting every 45 minutes or so. Let rest at least 15 minutes before serving!
