Skillet Roast Chicken with Parsnips and Fennel
Serves 630 mins prep90 mins cook
The title may say Skillet Roast Chicken with Parsnip and Fennel, but this is more than a recipe. It is a technique perfected to make the most flavorful and moist chicken every time. Whole chicken lightly browned in a cast-iron skillet and roasted on a bed of vegetables.
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What you need
Instructions
1 Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. 2 Using paper towels pat dry the whole chicken and let it air dry on the kitchen counter for 20-25 minutes. Rub it with 1 tablespoon of oil and season it generously with salt and pepper inside and out. Tie legs together with kitchen twine and tuck wing tips behind back. Set aside. 3 Heat a 10-inch cast iron skillet (or an oven-safe skillet) in medium heat for 2-3 minutes (The pan should be really hot). Place the chicken in the middle of the hot skillet breast side down and let the skin brown for 2 minutes. Using tongs, gently (being careful to not to tear the skin) rotate the chicken to brown the other side for 2-3 minutes. Transfer the chicken and all the juices onto a plate. Do not wash the skillet. 4 Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet. Add the shallots, fennel slices, and parsnips. Cook, stirring occasionally 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and lemon zest, and cook for 30 seconds. 5 Distribute the vegetables on an even layer and place the chicken in the middle, breast side up. 6 Place the lemon slices and sprigs of thyme around the chicken. 7 Transfer to the pre-heated oven. 8 Roast chicken until breasts register 130 degrees when a thermometer is inserted from the side, 30-35 minutes. 9 Turn the oven off and let the chicken continue to roast in the oven for another 25-30 minutes or until breasts register 160 degrees. 10 Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before cutting. Serve chicken and vegetables with fresh lemon slices.View original recipe