My husband went off on a trip… and came home EARLY 😱 POLITELY…
Asking for dinner ready when he arrived back at the house!!!
So, I had to REGROUP as the food I cook for the boys and myself is somewhat different from the food I cook when he’s home…
I decided on a one-pan oven roast of Chicken and Veggies!!!
Because I had some stuff to use up… and I only had to run out and buy a Chicken 😃👋👋👋
It’s just an assembly job… no thought or attention needed!!
I happen to have the most brilliant roasting pan!!
It comes with a removable arm that I shove my poor unsuspecting Chicken on…
LOVE THIS PAN!!
I found half a tub of herb-infused Butter lurking in the back of the fridge… EXCELLENT opportunity to use THAT up here 👍
I push it under the skin of my bird…
The skin ripped a bit… but OH WELL.. it’s not the end of the world 😝
I pour some Vermouth…
I use vermouth in EVERYTHING White… Fish, Poultry, Pork… I love its herbinesss and the fact it’s CHEAP and has a screw top… So, I’m not constantly having to open wine and FINISH the contents MYSELF 🍷🍷🍷before it turns to Vinegar!!!
The arm on the roasting pan has a well in it for just this purpose!!
Now I put my Chicken delicately on the arm… BREAST SIDE DOWN… so all the lovely Juices and Herb Butter soak in to the often potentially dry breast meat!!
The Vermouth is another key to keeping things moist… it STEAMS the Bird from the INSIDE… YUM 😳
Permeating the Chicken 😋😋😋
The Veggies are a wonderful assortment of odds and ends begging for the chance to SHINE 😝
FENNEL 👍👍👍
Cut the bottoms and tops off and one hard outer leaf… then quarter the bulb… and in the pan it goes under the Chicken…
SAVE THE FENNEL stalks and bits… for STOCK… in the freezer they go!!
Halve a Garlic bulb…
Chop some Celery…
Peel and quarter a red Onion (or white)…
But keep the end intact so it stays together in the pan…
I even have a few Mushrooms…
About 4 Red Potatoes… just wash and cut into wedges…
A Red Pepper, seeded with white veins removed…
OH… and AN EGGPLANT… 😝
Yep, just waiting patiently in the veggie drawer of the fridge for its moment of glory 😊
Sadly, he’s been waiting a TAD too long and gone a little seedy…
So, I cut out some of the seeds and cube the rest…
If I had Carrots they would go in… but I didn’t 😢
Nevertheless, it’s going to be GOOOOD 👍
I drizzle over some Olive Oil…
Squeeze the juice of a Lemon over it all… and season…
In she goes on 400 for 45 minutes…
Remember, I think, to stir the Veggies about 25 minutes in…
Can’t be sure 😝
After 45 minutes, things are really cookin’…
Take her out and turn her breast side UP… to brown and crisp…
This bit can be tricky… you don’t want to lose the Vermouth… the Chicken is HOT… and the arm is removable…
So, with some difficultly and care, get her right side up!!
But in the end (and, yes, often I spill the wine… but only into the veggies, so it’s fine)…
I get her back on her perch and back in the oven… having given the Veggies a really good stir, a drizzle of Olive Oil and some Pepper…
Another 45 minutes on 400…
To be continued…
