INGREDIENTS:
1 whole chicken, 4 1/2 to 5 pounds, at room temp2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, thyme, and
oregano ( I sometimes use lavender instead of thyme)
1-2 thick slices of bread
Olive oil
1 garlic head, cut horizontally in half, unpeeled
4 baby potatoes, scrubbed and quartered and/or 1 lb mushrooms, halved
2 carrots, trimmed, peeled, and cut into chunks
4 shallots, left whole, or 1 onion, quartered
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Rub inside of Dutch oven with oil and place bread in pot. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper and put half sprig of each herb and half of garlic into the chicken cavity. Truss chicken if you want, or leave that step out. Place chicken on bread.
3. Put other garlic and herbs into the pot and pour a few tablespoons of oil. Place pot in oven.
4. After chicken has roasted 45 minutes, add the vegetables already tossed in oil, salt, and pepper. Roast chicken for 45 more minutes then remove.
Notes:
You can peel the bread off the bottom and have a bite. It is fattening yumminess.
Serve with pan sauce, and vegetables. Let chicken rest 5-10 minutes before carving.
I usually add a 4 or 5 drumsticks (oiled, salted and peppered ) in the pot along with the whole chicken to feed more people. You can also substitute veggies. If you use broccoli, add it in the last 20 minutes of cooking.
To make a pan sauce, remove contents from pot and skim off fat. Put dutch oven over high heat and when boils, add 1/2 cup wine, scraping up brown bits.
Les Paresseux is French for “lazy people.” It is an easy chicken recipe.
skirtscook 