Food & Wine

Rosemary roasted chicken

One 3-4 pound free range chicken
2 tbsp good olive oil
2 large sprigs rosemary
1 head of garlic, split in 1/2
salt and pepper
2 large potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 large parsnips, peeled and chopped

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Take one of the sprigs of rosemary and break it up. Stuff this and the split head of garlic into the cavity of the chicken. Take the other rosemary sprig and remove the leaves from the branch. Carefully press the sprigs underneath the skin of the chicken all over the bird – breast, legs, thighs. Optionally, truss the bird. (Tie up the legs and tail end of chicken so it is tightly wrapped around the bird). Rub with the olive oil and then sprinkle on the salt and pepper. Toss the vegetables and a little olive oil with the paprika. Place on the middle of a roasting pan in a pile about 1 inch high, and place the chicken on top of this. Reduce the heat to 350 F and roast the bird 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the juices run clear when you poke the thigh. The last 1/2 hour, baste regularly with the pan drippings. When the bird is done remove it from the oven to a plate to rest for ten minutes, drain the excess fat from the vegetables and return them to the oven for a final ten minutes roasting to crisp them up. Carve the bird and serve with a side of the vegetables.

Originally published in the Spring 2007 issue of Lifestyle Nova Scotia Magazine.