Roasted Rocky Free Range Chicken Recipes

ROASTED FREE RANGE CHICKEN

Steps:

• For the chicken:
• Butcher, or bone, the chickens so you have 4 halves with only the wing bones remaining. Marinate the chicken overnight in the wine, oil, rosemary, and garlic.
• For the garnish:
• Dice the pancetta and render it almost fully, put aside. Roast the whole garlic cloves until they are soft (foil works well) and put aside. Gather rosemary and put aside.
• For the sauce:
• In a large saute pan, brown onions and garlic in olive oil. Add chicken stock and rosemary and reduce ingredients over heat by half. Remove rosemary stems, and puree sauce until smooth and put aside.
• In 2 large very hot oven proof saute pans place 2 chickens halves in each, with some olive oil. Place them skin side down, shake to ensure there's no sticking. Place on floor of a very hot oven, and roast until skin is crisp, and chicken is fully cooked.
• Place several spoonfuls of sauce on plate, then your favorite type of potato next the chicken. Add the pancetta, roasted garlic cloves, and fresh rosemary garnish.

LEMON & HERB ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• NOTE: This chicken does best when prepped 24 hours in advance. If that's not doable, season and chill at least 8-10 hours before cooking for crispier skin and more flavorful chicken.
• Set chicken on a clean plate then wash hands with hot soapy water. Melt butter and drizzle over the skin of the chicken and brush to distribute evenly. Season the exterior and interior cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper (as the recipe is written, about 3/4-1 Tbsp sea salt and 1-2 tsp black pepper). This sounds like a lot of salt, but there should be a generous layer of seasoning on the chicken so it flavors the meat well. (For a roughly 4 lb. chicken, we used about 1 Tbsp salt and 2 tsp black pepper total.)
• Insert the lemon and fresh rosemary into the cavity - this infuses more flavor and also makes for a more flavorful broth (if making broth afterward).
• Set the chicken in the fridge uncovered (this allows the chicken to dry out a bit, which helps it crisp more when roasting). Wait 24-36 hours (ideally) or at least 8-10 hours to cook. At this time, be sure to wash hands with hot soapy water again and clean all surfaces well to avoid spreading bacteria.
• Once you're ready to cook your chicken, preheat oven to 450 degrees F (232 C). Get out a large rimmed roasting pan or cast-iron skillet (we like this baking dish). If adding veggies (optional) add carrots and potatoes to the pan. Drizzle with a bit of oil and season well with salt and pepper. Then toss to combine.
• Arrange the veggies around the perimeter of the dish, then add the chicken (breast side up) in the center (if not baking with veggies, just place chicken in center of pan).
• Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes (UNCOVERED) or until the exterior is crispy and golden brown and the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 F (74 C). I also like to measure the breast temperature to ensure it's done in the center as well (also 165 F / 74 C). For an accurate read, be sure the thermometer is not touching bone.
• Remove from oven and let chicken rest for about 10-15 minutes before serving. This ensures the juices redistribute to keep the chicken moist.
• To slice the chicken, use a sharp knife to remove the wings and the thighs (option to cut the leg/drumstick from the thigh for easier serving portions). Then slice down either side of the breast bone and thinly slice the breasts into 1/4-inch serving portions. Use hands to carefully remove any other parts of meat from the bones. Lastly, if opting to make bone broth, save the bones (including the legs and wings after meat has been removed).
• To serve, arrange the carrots and potatoes on a serving platter and top with pieces of chicken. You will likely have a generous portion of cooking juices left over in the roasting pan, which I recommend transferring to a small dish and serving on the side to add more flavor as a lazy but delicious form of "gravy."
• Enjoy hot. Save cooled leftover meat and veggies covered in the fridge up to 2-3 days. Transfer meat up to the freezer after that and store up to 1 month (veggies won't freeze). Leftover meat can be enjoyed cold or hot (warm in the oven or microwave) on its own, or shredded and added to soup.

ROASTED ROCKY FREE-RANGE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Stuff the cavity of each chicken with 4 cloves of the garlic, half an onion, 2 lemons and 2 sprigs of tarragon. Season with salt and peppercorns.
• Lay the chickens, breast side down, on a rack over a small roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes. Baste continually with melted butter. After 30 minutes have elapsed, lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Continue basting until the meat is opaque at the bone, about 30 additional minutes.
• Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Set the chickens aside for 10 minutes. Pour out the fat that has accumulated in the pan. Place the roasting pan on a burner over medium heat. Stir in the chicken broth and simmer until it reduces to 3/4 cup, about 5 to 10 minutes. Strain.
• Cut the two chickens in half and divide among 4 plates. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with roasted potatoes.

JUICY ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place chicken in a roasting pan, and season generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Sprinkle inside and out with onion powder. Place 3 tablespoons margarine in the chicken cavity. Arrange dollops of the remaining margarine around the chicken's exterior. Cut the celery into 3 or 4 pieces, and place in the chicken cavity.
• Bake uncovered 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, to a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove from heat, and baste with melted margarine and drippings. Cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest about 30 minutes before serving.

ROASTED FREE-RANGE CHICKEN WITH SWISS CHARD AND MARROW GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toss the bread cubes with the butter and place them on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted, about 6 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
• Turn oven up to 450 degrees. Place the bacon in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until bacon is almost done, pouring off most of the fat as it is released. Add the chicken livers and cook, stirring constantly until browned, about 2 minutes. Drain and toss with the bread cubes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Carefully slip your hand between the chicken breasts and chicken skin to form a pocket. Place truffle slices between the breasts and skin. Fill the chicken cavity with the liver mixture. With a trussing needle and twine, sew the cavity closed. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Place in a roasting pan. Roast the chicken until juices run clear when pricked in the thickest part of the leg, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the gratin: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Swiss chard stems and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and simmer slowly until tender, about 25 minutes.
• If using marrow bones, while chard is cooking, fill a medium saucepan with salted water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add the marrow bones. Simmer for 6 minutes. Drain. Extract the marrow from the bones and cut across into 1/4-inch slices.
• Season chard with salt and pepper. Place half of the chard in the bottom of a medium-size gratin dish. Place the marrow, if using, evenly over the chard. Top with remaining chard. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
• Broil until top is browned, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately with chicken and stuffing.

TARRAGON-ROASTED FREE-RANGE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl, combine the butter, tarragon, shallot, zest, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Mash with a spoon until smooth.
• Remove the giblets and excess fat from the cavity of the chicken and sprinkle it inside and out with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, loosen the skin over the breast and work 2/3 of the butter mixture into the space between the skin and breast meat. Rub the remaining butter mixture over the skin and in the cavity. Place the reserved tarragon stems in the cavity.
• Transfer the bird to a roasting pan fitted with a rack and roast for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 375 degrees and continue to roast until the juices run clear when the flesh is pricked with a fork at the thickest part of the thigh, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.