Rustic Roasted Chicken (Ode to Irma)

I grew up with about 4 different types of entrees as a kid, and roasted chicken was always my favorite. Irma - one of the women who raised me and Jess - made it with raisins and onions, and served it with tons of jus over white rice. This was typically our fanciest meal and reserved for Friday night Shabbat dinners. When I told Justin about the significance of the roasted chicken, how it recalls Irma, Shabbat, and my ultimate childhood comfort and warmth, he found and cooked up this Jamie Oliver recipe. Not only is it the best roasted chicken we have ever made or had, but its rustic style reflects the culture of our kitchen.  


I hope it fills you with all kinds of goodness. - J & J

kosher organic chicken this guarantees a brined and well-raised bird

onions (2-4) amount depending on how much you love onion

carrots (2)

celery Stalks (2)

garlic (1 bulb)

olive Oil

sea salt & freshly ground pepper

lemon (1)

fresh thyme, rosemary, sage small bunches and whatever combination / ratio you want

*Recommended: serving with any kind of wild rice mix cooked with broth (I love the Trader Joe's Brown Rice Medley). The Rice Plus Anything Stew is also great for leftovers.

To prepare your chicken

• Take your chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before it goes into the oven 
• Preheat your oven to 475°F
• There’s no need to peel the vegetables – just give them a wash and roughly chop them 
• Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled 
• Pile all the veg and garlic into the middle of a large roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil 
• Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper, rubbing it all over the bird 
• Carefully prick the lemon all over, using the tip of a sharp knife 
• Put the lemon inside the chicken’s cavity, with the bunch of herbs 

To cook your chicken
• Place the chicken breast down on top of the vegetables in the roasting tray and put it into the preheated oven 
• Turn the heat down immediately to 400°F and cook the chicken for 1 hour and 20 minutes 
• Baste the chicken halfway through cooking, turn the bird over breast up, and if the veg look dry, add a splash of broth or water to the tray to stop them burning 
• When cooked, take the tray out of the oven and let bird rest for 15 minutes or so 
• Cover it with a layer of tinfoil and a tea towel and put aside.

To carve your chicken
• Remove any string from the chicken and take off the wings 
• Carefully cut down between the leg and the breast 
• Cut through the joint and pull the leg off 
• Repeat on the other side, then cut each leg between the thigh and the drumstick so you end up with four portions of dark meat 
• Place these on a serving platter 
• You should now have a clear space to carve the rest of your chicken 
• Angle the knife along the breastbone and carve one side off, then the other 
• When you get down to the fussy bits, just use your fingers to pull all the meat off, and turn the chicken over to get all the tasty, juicy bits from underneath 
• You should be left with a stripped carcass, and a platter full of lovely meat that you can serve with gorgeous roast veg over rice