@whenryancooks Night two has proven to be equally difficult in staying on budget – namely due to the recent increase in the cost of chicken. After checking at three different markets, a raw, whole chicken was running anywhere between $12 and $18 a bird. Oddly, a whole cooked rotisserie chicken in the deli section of the market was under $8. With a little nudging, I managed to convince the deli manager to sell me one of his uncooked, frozen chickens instead of getting it from the butcher case. This made my budget manageable and allowed me to add the roasted root vegetable side dish.
The Receipt
| Whole Roasting Chicken | $5.95 |
| Parsnips | $1.79 |
| Carrots | Extra from Night One |
| Onion | $1.29 |
| Fresh Tarragon | $0.69 |
| Garlic (peeled and cloves) | $3.39 |
| Celery | $0.79 |
| Baguette | $1.00 |
Total: $14.91
Aside from the chicken, the most expensive ingredient in this dish is the garlic. Once again my local international market came to the rescue. They sell tubs of pre-peeled garlic on the cheap, so it’s something I always try to keep on hand.
Similarly, Tarragon is an herb I don’t commonly grow at home, so I had to kick in for a fresh bunch. Often I can find it 2 or 3 for a dollar, but $0.69 this time around is still a decent deal – less than a third of what the chain markets charge.
Like night one, the cook on this is easy. I start with a seasoning technique I use every Thanksgiving – make an herb butter, rub half of it under the skin of the bird, melt and brush the remaining half over the outside of the bird. Doing this helps to keep the bird moist and allows the flavors to run deep.
The real star of this dish, however, is the garlic. the cavity and roasting pan is literally filled with garlic cloves – 50 to 100 easy – and whole garlic heads are roasted with the root vegetables. You’d think this might overpower the dish, but roasting the garlic brings out a sweet, buttery flavor that really elevates the dish.
Roasted parsnips, carrots, and onion wedges compliment the flavors of the chicken rounding out the meal. Last, a fresh baguette was perfect for spreading the roasted garlic.
PRO TIP on this one: I reserved the chicken carcass and extra uncooked vegetables to make a chicken stock that will be featured later in the week.
Click here for my Garlic Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables recipe.
