One of my favorite products to feature is a whole, pasture raised chicken. Our chickens have so much flavor because of the way they are raised – slow and naturally outside on green grass where the chickens can forage for bugs, seeds, and grasses in the pasture. These plump birds are juicy and flavorful.
Or if you want to read a bit more about how and where our chickens are raised, click here to read “Countdown to Summer: 8 Weeks to Grow out a Chicken.”
A whole, fresh pasture raised chicken can yield a few great meals for your family: plan ahead, and let the frozen bird thaw in your fridge for at least 2 days before cooking.
ROASTING THE WHOLE BIRD
Roasting the whole bird first is the easiest way to tackle your chicken. Check out our Simple Roasted Chicken with Garlic recipe for crispy skin, or our Chicken in a Pot recipe for soft and juicy chicken (and the beginnings of stock!) If you want to cut up your bird first, click here for directions and the recipe for Weeknight Chicken Cacciatore.
About ½-⅔ of a roasted five pound chicken is enough for a group of 4.
Here are Parker’s roast chicken directions for high and low heat:
HIGH HEAT ROASTING
Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Rinse the whole chicken, cavity and surface, with cold water, removing the neck and the giblets (reserve for stock– keep reading!) Dry the surface and the cavity with a towel. Place a few large pieces of chopped onion, carrot and celery with a half teaspoon of dried thyme and a bay leaf in the cavity. Place the chicken, breast side up, in a shallow roasting pay. Soften two tablespoons of butter and combine the butter with a tablespoon of minced fresh herbs—parsley, rosemary, thyme, tarragon—in any combination. Add a little salt and fresh ground pepper.
Rub the surface with the butter (or use olive oil) for crispy skin.
Roast the chicken for 20 minutes to ½ hour at 450 degrees. Lower the heat to 350. A small chicken—3 to 4 lbs—will take about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes; 5 to 6 lbs will take about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Chickens over 6 lbs will 2 to 2 ½ hours.
Let the roasted chicken rest for 10 or 15 minutes before carving it. Save the cooking juices for the stock pot. Remove the leg and thigh pieces and then separate the leg from the thigh. Remove the breast portions. Cut the breast into two portions. When the remaining chicken is cool, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for leftovers.
SLOW ROASTING (LOW HEAT)
Prep the chicken as mentioned above in the high heat roasting, but start your oven at just 250. Roast the chicken for 3 hours at 250. Stir the vegetable from time to time. Baste the chicken with the oil, butter and juice in the pan.
To finish, raise the temperature to 375. Add some sprigs of herbs to the pan. Roast for an additional ½ hour to 45 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the oven and set aside to rest about ten minutes. Place a cutting/carving board on a tray and then place the chicken on the cutting/carving board. The tray will prevent the juices from flowing out on the counter. Carefully remove the thigh and leg portions. Separate these into two parts yielding four portions. Serve the roasted vegetables with the pan juices.
LEFTOVERS
SALAD
Cold, cooked chicken makes for a fantastic lunch. Toss diced chicken with lemon juice, olive oil and minced garlic and serve on a bed of greens with some sliced cherry tomatoes and you’re good to go!
Parker also likes to add cold boiled potatoes, chopped hard cooked eggs and some minced parsley and other herbs. Toss it with a teaspoon of Dijon mustard with 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil and toss with the chicken and potatoes.
SANDWICHES
Or make a sandwich: On top of some toasted bread, add some homemade mayo, some lettuce, sliced cooked beets with half of a hard cooked egg. Season with a little salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and a small piece of Pepper Havarti. Or, you know, however you like to make chicken sandwiches!
POT PIE
Another great full meal is to make a Chicken Pot Pie— use up a bunch of root vegetables and have a piping hot dinner on the table in less than an hour.
CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
Dice carrot and onion to equal ½ cup each. Place these in a heavy bottom pan with a little olive oil. Cover the pan and place over low heat for about 20 minutes to sweat the vegetables. Add a teaspoon of dried thyme.
Add 3-4 cups of the chicken stock you made from the roasted chicken carcass. Raise the heat and cook until the vegetables are soft. Season with salt and pepper.
Add noodles or small pasta of your choice. Cook until the pasta is done.
MAKING STOCK
No matter how you prepare the chicken do remember that the carcass and the bones can be used for making stock. The vegetables, thyme and bay leaf are already in the carcass, and you can add back in the chicken neck that you took out before roasting. The organ meats should not be used in stock, but rather fry up the liver and served with roasted garlic on a piece of toast or feed to any hungry kitties you might have at your house for a real treat.
First, remove all the meat you can from the carcass with a fork and set aside to be used in another dish. Put the carcass in a pot that will hold 2-3 quarts, and cover with water. Add a small onion—peeled and chopped; a large carrot—peeled and chopped; a stalk of celery—chopped. Bring to a boil and skim several times. Lower the heat to medium and add any juices saved from the roasting pan, and 2-3 teaspoon of dried thyme and a bay leaf. Lower the heat to medium or medium low and cook the stock for three or four hours. Cool and strain through a damp cloth. Refrigerate overnight.
The next day, remove the fat from the stock– be sure just to remove the yellow layer of fat and not the gelatin (the good stuff!) that collects right on top of the cooled stock.
Divide the stock in half. Use one half to make chicken noodle soup. Boil the other half to reduce by about half—the color will darken. Freeze this reduced stock in small portions and label—half cup and one cup– and use this concentrated stock for sauces and other dishes. For more information on making homemade stock, click here.