Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Chicken

There is nothing more lovely than a whole roasted chicken in the fall. As the seasons change, so do the menus. Lightly grilled fish makes way for hearty beef stews, BBQ-ed shrimp skewers take a back seat to pork tenderloin with loads of mushrooms.

One of the first things my mom taught me how to cook was a whole roasted chicken. It is versatile and pocketbook friendly. One small 5 lb chicken will last me days. The first night served up with potatoes and vegetables, chicken sandwiches for lunch with plenty of mayonnaise and cranberries if you are feeling festive, sliced chicken on mixed greens the next night, and by the third day I am ready for a chicken soup that will feed the whole neighborhood (or at least several freezer batches-worth).

The other delightful think about a whole chicken is the fact that you can dress them up in any way and they are usually bursting with delicious flavorful juices. If you take care and do it right, the skin will crisp up and keep the breast and thigh meat tender and moist.

But the best part of all... is the gravy. Now, I am a complete glutton for this sinful condiment. When I think no one is looking, I scandalously sneak spoonfuls of gravy and simply marinate my senses in this guilty pleasure. There is just something about the combination of its rich silky texture and the fact that I am knowingly inputting into my system thousands more milligrams of sodium than should ever be deemed appropriate. But gravy isn't trying to be appropriate. Gravy is a rebel, out to seduce your waistline.

I know there are two sides to the gravy war. Flour or cornstarch? I choose not to be critical of those who believe cornstarch is the end-all-be-all, but I simply have to say that flour is superior in all aspects of gravy making. So if you must, those supporters of corn-based products out there, substitute your cornstarch for flour, then do so, but my disclaimer is that flour is mo-betta.

Now some people choose to use the gizzards, heart and neck for their gravy, but I choose not, because honestly, they gross me out. In our meat-eating society, I do find it odd that certain parts of an animal causes squirminess, but I won’t get into all that right now. Put the gizzards in if you want, but my recipe omits the guts.

I am giving you guidance for the gravy, I haven’t found an exact ratio for gravy since sometimes I end up with a lot of juices, other times minimal. So you will have to feel it out a bit to get the consistency you want. In the spirit of “rustic cooking,” this version calls for sour cream. I was out of milk and cream, so I went for the gusto and used regular sour cream. It turned out amazing. Use milk or cream if you want to go a bit lighter or if you aren’t super into sour cream (I am).

Garlic Rosemary Roasted Chicken

5-6lb whole chicken

10 whole cloves garlic

1 medium onion, sliced

1 small lemon or lime

2 sprigs rosemary, roughly chopped

1 cup chicken broth

For the paste

3 tbsp salted butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp rosemary, minced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pat chicken dry and place in a roasting pan. Squeeze citrus over the top of the chicken and stuff innards with the citrus remains as well as 1/4 of the sliced onion and 5 of the garlic cloves. Scatter remaining onion, garlic and rosemary in the pan around the chicken. Pour the chicken broth in the pan.

Make the paste. Place butter, garlic and rosemary in a small bowl and use a spoon to mash it together to make a paste. Make several slices in the skin at the top of the chicken and on the thighs, use 3/4 of the paste to stuff under the skin of the chicken and smear the remaining 1/4 all over the top.

Place chicken in the oven and roast for 30 minutes uncovered. Make a foil tent and cover the chicken. Juices will start to form in the bottom of the pan. Baste chicken in juices often. Cook chicken for another hour or until thermometer reads 165 degrees at the thickest spot between the breast and the thigh. Chicken should be nicely browned and thighs will pull off easily.

For the gravy

When the chicken is done, remove from roasting pan and place on a cutting board with routed edges to catch the juices. Place roasting pan on two burners set on very low heat. Skim off excess fat with a spoon. Mix 3 tbsp flour with cold water until consistency is slightly runny and mixture is smooth. Slowly pour about half of the mixture into the pan, constantly whisking as you pour. Continue whisking for another five minutes and mixture will begin to thicken. Add about a cup of chicken broth and ¼ cup sour cream and continue whisking. Add more chicken broth, sour cream or flour mixture to your discretion until you get the consistency you want.

Serve with a hearty portion of mashed potatoes.