There are a few things I think everyone should know how to cook: scrambled eggs, a couple of soups, simple pasta, a sheet pan with sausages & vegetables and meat for tacos come to mind. But above all, I value the roasted chicken. That’s because one roasted chicken turns into at least three dishes in my home. Eat the meat and vegetables immediately after roasting, turn leftovers into a soup or salad and use the bones to make broth. An organic and pasture raised chicken isn’t cheap but when you maximize the use of every part of the bird, you increase it’s value.

This week on Minnesota Live, I shared how I do a roasted chicken and hopefully this will empower you to do the same!

Classic Roast Chicken

Gather this:

• 1 whole chicken (preferably organic and pasture raised (Eat Wild is a great resource for finding local farmers)
• 4 tbsp butter, room temperature
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp fresh chopped herbs (rosemary, sage and thyme are wonderful but feel free to switch them up!) plus extra rosemary for the potatoes
• 1/2 small yellow onion
• 1/2 small lemon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• small red and/or Yukon gold potatoes (however many you’d like to roast to feed your family!)

Do this:

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator about an hour before roasting. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat the bottom of a roasting pan, dutch oven or other cooking vessel with olive oil. Combine the butter, garlic cloves, herbs, salt, pepper and zest from the lemon to make a compound butter. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Carefully put the butter between the skin and the flesh of the chicken, getting in the bread, drumstick, back and thigh areas. Put the onion and lemon (you may need to cut them into pieces to fit) in side the cavity of the bird. Tuck the wings under the body and tie up the legs tightly with kitchen twine.

Set the bird in the center of the cooking vessel and arrange the potatoes around it. Season the chicken and the potatoes with more salt and pepper and lightly drizzle olive oil over the entire dish. Place extra rosemary sprigs around the potatoes.

Roast, uncovered, for about 90 minutes depending on the size of the bird. Use an instant read thermometer and remove the chicken when it’s reading 165 degrees. Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.