Simple Locally Grown Roast Chicken - Comfort Food!

At the Farmer's Market this week, I picked up a whole chicken from a local farm, King Family Farm. Roast chicken is normally a staple in our house but I realized I haven't roasted a chicken in quite a while. I was craving not only the tenderness and wonderful flavor of roast chicken but also the smell that emanates from the oven as it's cooking.

I marinated the chicken 24 hours prior to cooking. I firmly believe that marinating meat far enough in advance (12-24 hours) is essential in maximizing the moistness of whatever meat I'm cooking along with imparting the flavor of the meat with whichever seasoning I've chosen. Many of you may say, 'that is so much work!' but really I'm really wondering if it makes cooking easier. When I went to roast this chicken I simply took it out of the bag that I had been marinating it in, placed it on a baking dish and roasted it. This made it super easy to get it started roasting as soon as I got home from work.



Simple Locally Grown Roast Chicken

3 pound locally grown, whole chicken

Marinade
1 1/2 tbsp coarse kosher salt
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 beer

Marinade the chicken prior to cooking, preferably 24 hours. To marinade, place the chicken in a gallon sized ziplock bag. Add all the marinade in the bag and shake to thoroughly coat the chicken. Place the bag on a plate and store in the refrigerator.

When ready to roast the chicken, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the chicken from the bag and place in a baking dish. Allow the chicken to rest on the counter for about 30 minutes to take the chill of the meat. This will aid in a faster, more even cooking of the bird.

Bake for about 1hour and 20 minutes in a 375 degree oven. When the bird is fully cooked you should be able to stick a fork where the leg joint is and the juices will run clear. Prior to cutting and serving, remove the chicken from the oven, cover with tin foil and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. This will allow the juices to redistribute ensuring the chicken remains moist.

I love the chicken wing on a roast chicken. Too Yummy!



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