Chef notes

A simply roasted chicken is comfort food at its very best. It takes very little effort to prepare and leftovers are even better!

Technique tip: Having the chicken butterflied means it will cook faster and be much easier to carve.

Swap option: Feel free to use different cuts of chicken such as bone in, skin on thighs, drumsticks and chicken breast, just adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Ingredients

Roasted Chicken

1 5-pound whole chicken, backbone removed and butterflied
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 sprig rosemary
1 lemon, quartered
1 small yellow onion, quartered

1 small red onion, quartered
Parsley sprigs
1 head garlic, sliced in half horizontally
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup white wine

Chimichurri

1 cup parsley leaves, tightly packed
1/4 cup dill
2 tablespoons capers
1/2 small yellow onion

2 cloves garlic
Salt, to taste
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation

For the roasted chicken:

Preheat oven to 425°F.

In a roasting pan, place the chicken cut side down. Drizzle some olive oil all over the top, season well with salt and pepper, scatter the rosemary over the chicken and squeeze half of a lemon right on top. Arrange all the onions, lemon wedges, herbs and garlic around the chicken.

Place the chicken in the oven and cook for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F. Take the chicken out, let it rest while you make the sauce.

In the pan with all the drippings, over medium heat, add the wine and water, and bring it a boil while stirring and pushing down on the garlic and onions, cook until the juices thicken and reduce by half, season with a touch of salt, discard the veggies and set the gravy aside.

For the chimichurri:

Place the parsley, dill, capers, onion and garlic in a food processor and pulse until really finely chopped.

Transfer the herb mixture to a bowl along with a pinch of salt, vinegar and oil, adjust anything to taste and set aside.

To serve:

Carve the rested chicken, drizzle some of the wine juices right over the meat and serve along side the chimichurri.