Night Two of the $15 Dinner for Two Cooking Challenge was inspired by a craving for a really good garlic chicken. In this recipe, both garlic cloves and full heads of garlic are roasted along side the chicken creating a sweet and savory blend of flavors.
Garlic Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables
Ingredients
For the Roasted Root Vegetables
Instructions
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Prep Your Ingredients
Peel and cut your vegetables. Place in a roasting pan and toss with olive oil, chopped tarragon, salt and pepper. Add whole garlic heads and drizzle the exposed tops with a little olive oil.
Set aside and preheat the oven to 400F if using a double oven. If not, preheat to 425F.
In a bowl, mix together salt, pepper, tarragon, and butter until blended and creamy.
A double oven is best here to roast the chicken and vegetables separately. If only a single oven is available, move the chicken to the lower half of the oven during the last 30 minutes of the cook and place the vegetables on the top rack. -
Prep the Chicken
If cooking with a double oven, preheat the second oven to 425.
Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and add to a roasting pan separate from the vegetables. Season the cavity with salt and pepper.
Gently start to work your hand under the skin of the chicken along the breast to loosen the skin without tearing it. Once loose, massage half of the tarragon butter under the skin.
Add a few onion wedges, carrots, celery, and garlic to the chicken cavity. Spread remaining garlic cloves around the chicken inside the roasting pan. Tie and truss the legs with cooking twine.
Melt the remaining tarragon butter and brush over the outside of the chicken. Add wine to roasting pan and place in the oven.
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Roast the Chicken
Roast the chicken for 30 minutes until it starts to brown.
Using a spatula and tongs, gently flip the chicken upside down so that it is resting on its breast and the spine side is up. Roast for 20 minutes in this position.
Add the root vegetables to the oven.
Using the spatula and tongs once more, flip the chicken back over so that the breast side is up. Baste with pan drippings and roast about another 30 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the inner thigh reads 160F - 165F
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Transfer and serve
Transfer Chicken to serving dish to rest. Baste with pan drippings and roasted garlic cloves. Arrange roasted root vegetables around the chicken and garnish with tarragon and rosemary sprigs.