One of our favorite recipes from Molly Baz
Time: 1 1/2 hours
Feeds: 4 people
Ingredients:
- 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- 1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 whole chicken
- 2 large red onions
- 2 whole garlic heads
- 1/2 cup fresh dill
- 6 oz egg noodles or whatever carb you would like to have with this
Directions: Position a rack in the middle of your oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Cut 2 large onions in half through the root end and slice into 1 inch thick wedges. Scatter the onions in a large oven safe skillet or on a large rimmed baking sheet. Cut 2 heads of garlic in half crosswise and nestle them into the onions, cut sides down, skins and all. Drizzle 3 tbsp olive oil all over the onions and garlic and season with salt.
Next you should prepare the chicken. If your chicken is on the smaller side (3-4 pounds) you’re welcome to keep it whole but if it’s getting up in size towards 5 or 6 pounds, it would be a good idea to spatchcock it to ensure even cooking and it also won’t take ages to roast. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine salt, black pepper, paprika, brown sugar and 2 tablespoons olive oil, mixing until a paste forms. The amount of salt you use for this will be dependent on the size of your bird. I generally do a teaspoon of salt per pound of chicken. You should absolutely use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt for this. If you don’t have it and are using regular table salt like Morton’s, you’ll need to drastically decrease the amount of salt used. Place the chicken breast side up on top of the onions in the skillet or baking sheet. Rub the paste evenly over the chicken, making sure to hit all of the nooks, crannies, and undersides.
Transfer the skillet or baking sheet to the oven, with the legs towards the back of the oven, and roast 50-65 minutes. The chicken is done when the skin is deeply golden brown and the thickest part of the breast is temping at 155-160 degrees. If the rub is getting too dark, lightly tent the darkest areas with aluminum foil for the remainder of the cook time.
When the chicken is cooked through, remove the skillet from the oven and let it rest 15-20 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a large cutting board.
Stir the dill leaves into the onions and garlic in the pan. Carve the rested chicken and then return the chicken to the skillet, on top of the onion mixture. Serve with egg noodles tossed in butter.