What's in my Oven Tonight? Roast Chicken for Two with Lemon and Rosemary: 01.15.07

I swear! This will be my last post tonight before I go grab a beer at Temperance...


Roast Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary/Roast Root Vegetables and Southern Comfort Pan Apple Gravy



Chicken
2 T minced fresh rosemary
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 T dijon mustard
1 T honey
5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 3 1/2 pound whole roasting chicken
1 lemon, quartered

Southern Comfort Pan Apple Gravy
1 C organic low-salt chicken broth
2 T Southern Comfort
1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled, cored, chopped
1 small onion
1 carrot, peeled, chopped
2 T butter, unsalted
1 t all purpose flour
1 T cream

Root Veg
1/4 lb Brussel Sprouts, washed, ends removed and quartered
3 parsnips, peeled, chopped
1 med yukon gold potato, peeled, chopped
3 carrots, peeled chopped
1 t rosemary, minced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T olive oil


Preheat oven to 450°F. Mix first 6 ingredients in bowl. Rinse chicken, remove neck and giblets (set aside); pat dry. Place chicken in roasting pan. Rub all but 1 tablespoon garlic-thyme oil over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place lemon in cavity of chicken. Tie legs with string.

Toss all vegetables in olive oil, rosemary and garlic, set aside.

Roast chicken 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and loosely tent chicken in aluminum foil. Add vegetables to pan about 30 minutes into roasting the chicken. Roast chicken until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of inner thigh registers 180°F, about 1 hour. Lift chicken and tilt slightly, emptying juices from cavity into pan. Transfer chicken to serving platter. Tent chicken with aluminum foil to keep warm.

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter and saute onion, carrot and apple until slightly browned. Add chicken neck, giblets and saute for an additional 5 minutes or until chicken pieces are browned. Add chicken broth and Southern Comfort and bring to a boil. Add roast chicken pan juices into gravy liquid and reduce to simmer for about an hour or until liquid has reduced to 1 cup. Strain liquid into measuring cup, removing apples, onions, etc. In same pan, melt butter and mix flour into reserved 1 tablespoon garlic-thyme oil. Whisk into broth mixture and bring to a boil. Add cream and stir until desired thickness. season with salt and pepper.

Makes 2 servings.