Perfect Roast Chicken with Italian Salsa Verde

I love this time of year. It’s hard to deny the gorgeous changing leaves, the bright blue skies and cool crisp mornings. The Poplar trees out my window sway and dance in the breeze, shimmering gold in the afternoon sun. Soon the leaves will fall and our beautiful Valley hills will be in view for the winter months. 

As the seasons transition, so do the things I find myself drawn to cooking and eating. After a long hot summer full of grilled corn, cold watermelon and anything and everything I can think of thrown on the grill, my mood shifts towards cozy and comforting. I don’t mind turning on the oven in the afternoons to let something cook long and slow. I bookmark interesting soups, braised meats and decadent pasta dishes as I flip through cookbooks looking for something delicious to inspire a meal.

This recipe in particular came to be out of a mindless flip through one of my favorite cookbooks; The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman. Perelman’s recipe for a roast chicken and grilled bread panzanella salad sent me digging through my own refrigerator to come up with my own version. 

Besides, nothing is more quintessentially fall than a perfectly roasted chicken. If you’ve never made one at home, I encourage you to give it a go. It’s surprisingly easy to put together and the result is tender flavorful meat you can use to make just about anything. Personally I love a bright herby bite to compliment the chicken so this Italian salsa verde is my go-to sauce. By the way, it’s perfect with roasted veggies, drizzled over rice or tossed with roasted potatoes. 

As always make this recipe your own. I noted an easy salad combination at the bottom of the recipe for a little inspiration, but don’t feel obligated to follow it. Use what you have on hand or sounds good.

Perfect Roast Chicken

• 3-4 pound whole young chicken

• 3 tablespoons softened salted butter

• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 small lemon

• 2 sprigs rosemary

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large dutch oven, place chicken breast side up. Pat dry with paper towels. Liberally cover the bird in softened butter. Use your hands to separate the skin from the meat and massage butter underneath the skin. Sprinkle entire bird (both sides) with kosher salt and black pepper. Cut lemon in half and insert into cavity along with the sprigs of fresh rosemary.

Cover pot with a lid and cook in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove lid after 40 minutes and cook another 30-40 minutes uncovered, turning the pot at least once to insure even cooking. When a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees and the juices run clear, remove the pot from oven. Allow the meat to rest for 15 minutes before slicing into the meat.

Italian Salsa Verde

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 lemon

• 1 tablespoon chives

• 1 bunch parsley

• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• Pinch of red pepper flakes

To serve, cut chicken into pieces, slicing the breast meat. Drizzle with Italian salsa verde. Serve immediately. 

For an easy and tasty dinner, make a salad with tender greens, sliced avocado, sliced cucumber, pickled onion, crumbled goat cheese and toasted croutons. Drizzle the Italian salsa verde over the salad as a dressing. Gently combine and serve.