Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner!
Hiya everyone,
Those of us with a meat share received a whole chicken recently, and I can’t tell you how much joy that brings me. Chicken is one of those proteins that I can never get enough of, based on it’s sheer versatility. There are literally a bazillion things that you can do with chicken. The recipe that I’m going to share with you today is one that Chef Michael Smith was kind enough to contribute to the Guest Chef section of my old food blog, back in the day when I was a prolific poster of all things food. Over the last 8 or 9 years it’s gone through many small alterations based on our personal tastes, and this version has become the standard in our house. (If you haven’t noticed by now, I have a very difficult time following a recipe as is. I love to add/delete/adjust/tweak to make things my own.) 
While the apples, onion and cider and juice are essential, the vegetable component is very flexible, and is great for clearing out your veg drawer. I’ve made this dinner with parsnip, turnip, dried beans, celeriac, and even roasted radish, or golden beets. This time around, I was able to utilize the apples, apple cider, onion, potatoes, and carrots that were in our last 2 CSA boxes. The apples become almost candy like in their sweetness, but the vinegar balances that with a mellow, yet very distinct tang. And better still, this is a “one pan” meal, making for a very easy clean up.
So, while the original recipe was insanely delicious, this is what it’s turned into for us, and yes, I fully anticipate that it will turn into something slightly different for you……
Roast Chicken with Cider Vinegar Gravy
1 Whole Chicken (any size)
3 carrots
5 waxy potatoes (in this case, red potatoes)
2 cloves garlic
3 large apples (in this case, Golden delicious & honeycrisp)
1 large onion
2 tbsp each of thyme & rosemary (dried or fresh)
2 cups sweet apple cider
2 cups apple cider vinegar
a good splash of oil
salt & pepper to taste
**optional
1 tbsp flour or cornstarch to thicken pan juices
a good sprinkle of dried chili flakes
Directions
Chop apples, onions, carrots & potatoes into bite size chunks and rough chop garlic cloves. Toss all into a large roasting pan, season with rosemary, thyme, salt & pepper, and coat all with a splash of oil. Roast veg at 350 for 20 minutes, uncovered. Remove roasting pan, add sweet cider & apple cider vinegar and rest chicken on top. Spoon some of the cider/vinegar mix from the pan over the chicken, drizzle with a little oil & season with salt and pepper. Roast uncovered for 25 minutes per lb of chicken. We like a very crispy skin on our chicken, but if you feel that yours is getting darker than you like during cooking, just rest a piece of foil over the bird once it is to your liking, and if your chicken is very small, add additional time to the pre-roast of the vegetable to ensure they’re cooked through. When time is up, remove chicken to rest, scoop out veg to a service plate, and pan juices to a gravy boat. If you prefer a thicker sauce, once veg is removed, bring pan juices to a boil and thicken as normal with cornstarch or flour mixed into a cup of cold water. It’s beautiful served family style on a giant platter, either whole or carved, along side the vegetable & potatoes.
I hope you enjoy this meal as much as we do & I’ll see you next Monday with something new
Love some local food,
Kim