trailboss wrote:I used a Dutch oven years ago, it had a nice patina and was seasoned fantastically.... wish I knew what happened to it.
All three of them recipes sound delicious... leaning to the French.
How can one lose a 30 pound Dutch Oven????
Anyway, YES, i decided to go with the 'French' recipe, a sort of variation of my own recipe, as follows:
ROASTED DUTCH-OVEN CHICKEN
Ingredients
1 whole roasting chicken (4½ to 5 pounds), giblets removed, wings tucked in
1-Tbs Sea or Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground black or 1/4 tsp. White Pepper
3 to 4 Tbs. Butter softened to Room Temp.
1- Bunch Fresh flat-leaf Parsley; 1 Tbs, Chopped very fine; the remainder Sprigs Reserved.
2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary; One Sprig removed of leaves, the other left Whole.
1 Tbs.juice from 1 or 2 Lemons, Plus 1 Tbs. of Skin Grated; the left over Lemon Pieces cut into 4 to 6 pieces.
1 Sweet Onion, diced (about ½ to ¾ cup), Plus 6 Small/Pearl Onions
1 Stalk Celery, diced (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup), Plus 2 small Stalks with Leaves
1 Carrot - diced (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup) Plus 6 small/baby Carrots
6 medium Garlic Cloves, skin removed but left whole
1 Bay Leaf
Vegetable Oil, Chicken fat, or Duck Fat
2 to 3 Tbs. Dry White Wine
One 5 to 7 Quart Dutch Oven (Cast Iron or Enameled Cast Iron), with cover.
Instructions - Part 1
Place Oven Rack to lowest position, heat oven to 250 degrees.
* In a Bowl mix well the, Butter, chopped Rosemary, chopped Parsley, and the grated Lemon.
* Wash & Pat-Dry chicken with paper towels, season well with salt & pepper (making sure the chicken is completely dry - essential for proper browning).
* Rub the Inside of the Chicken with the Cut Lemon Quarters, season with Salt & Pepper, with ‘some of’ the Compound Butter, and stuff the Cavity with the Cut Lemon Pieces and the remaining bunch of whole Parsley. Tie Back the Chicken Legs.
* Heat Fat or Oil in the Dutch Oven (rubbing sides all over) over medium heat.
* Add Chicken breast-side down; Well Rub some Compound Butter all over the Bottom of Chicken. Cook until breast is Lightly Browned, moving chicken around to get coverage, about 5-6 minutes.
* With a Wooden Spoon or Tongs inserted in Bird Cavity, flip the Chicken breast-side up
* Add the vegetables (Onions, Carrots, Celery, Garlic Cloves, Bay Leaf and Rosemary Sprig) and stir to coat well. Cook until chicken is (within reason) Golden Brown all over, ~6 to 8 minutes more and vegetables are lightly browned. Stir veggies occasionally.
* Remove Dutch oven from heat; Rub the rest of the Compound Butter ‘all over’ the top of the Chicken. Cover Pot tightly with lid.
* Transfer Pot to the Oven and cook until instant-read thermometer registers 155 to160 degrees when inserted in thickest part of breast, Likely 80 to 110 minutes.
Instructions - Part 2:
* Transfer chicken to carving board, tent with foil, and rest 20 minutes.
* Remove the Whole Vegetables and reserve.
*
Jus: Strain chicken juices from pot through fine-mesh strainer into fat separator, pressing on solids to extract liquid; discard solids (should have about 3/4 cup juices).
* Pour into a saucepan set over low heat. Add White Wine and allow to simmer for 1-2 minutes until alcohol evaporates. Alternatively, can also add lemon juice to the Jus right before serving. One can also make their Favorite Chicken Gravy (Jus) as the Pot cooks in the oven and ADD the Jus from the Pt to the Gravy when the Cooking is done.
Carve chicken, adding any accumulated juices to saucepan, passing Jus at table.
