Herb Roasted Chicken

Making up a roast chicken is probably one of my favourite things to do at the beginning of the week for meal prepping! I can usually use a chicken for dinner, lunches and save the carcass to make bone broth or soup!

Aside from a herb roasted chicken being absolutely delicious, it’s packed with nutrients when seasoned and cooked correctly. Check out my favourite reasons for eating bone-in meat:

5 REASONS TO EAT BONE-IN MEAT

1. Micronutrients: This term is used to describe vitamins and minerals in general – and bones contain a heck of a lot of those! Cooking meat bone-in provides the meat with a variety of vitamins and minerals that you wouldn’t normal get from boneless meat. Some of these trace minerals include calcium, phosphorus, sodium and magnesium.
2. Supports Gut Healing: This is why bone broth is so popular right now! Aside from the trace minerals, one of the biggest benefits to cooking bones are their high concentration of collagen, gelatin and glycine. These nutrients play a crucial role in gut healing as well as tissue repair, skin elasticity, joint pain and decreasing inflammation in the body.
3. Supports Sustainability: I’m a big advocate for sustainability. With all food in general, I always suggest researching local sources (or growing your own!) and understanding where your food is coming from. Look for local free-range chickens and if you’re eating meat, opt for using the WHOLE animal when possible! Carnivore Meats is a great local butcher that I personally shop at and always recommend.
4. Adds Flavour: If there’s one thing we know about bones, it’s that they’re surrounded by fat and full of collagen. What happens to collagen when it’s cooked? It creates gelatin. And there’s no better way to keep your meat moist and flavorful than to have your own built-in baster directly inside your meat. Moist and delicious!
5. Saves Money: Typically speaking, bone-in meat is usually less expensive comparably to boneless cuts. I mean, it makes sense, right? Less handling, less processing, (usually) less packaging. Look for bone-in cuts such as bone-in thighs, bone-in breasts, drumsticks, wings or the whole dang chicken!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 free range chicken
• 2-3 sprigs Sage
• 2-3 sprigs Rosemary
• 2-3 sprigs Oregano
• 2-3 sprigs Thyme
• 1/4 onion, roughly chopped
• 1/2 lemon, roughly diced (skin left on)
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly crushed
• 3 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 3 tbsp melted ghee
• 2 tsp Himalayan salt
• 1 tsp fresh cracked pepper

GRAVY

• Drippings from Chicken
• 1 – 2 cups Vegetable or Chicken stock, depending on how much drippings you get (water works too but you may need to add more flavour)
• 1/2 – 1tsp Xanthan (for other gluten free options you can try arrowroot, cornstarch, tapioca or gluten free flour)
• Salt + Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Detail the herbs (saving the stems) and chop finely. Add herbs, salt, pepper and oils to a small bowl and mix together. Set aside.
2. Put stems, onions, lemon + garlic into a medium bowl and toss with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Prep your roasting pan by lining it with parchment paper and place your raw chicken inside.
4. With a brush, coat the outside and inside of the chicken with the herb mixture. I use almost the entire mixture for the outside of the chicken and just a little bit for the inside.
5. Stuff the chicken carcass with the remaining ingredients. If you have string, you can tie up the legs of the chicken so that the stuffing (and flavour) stays inside.
6. Cook the chicken covered for 45min. Uncover and cook the chicken at 425°F for the remaining 30min. When finished, let the chicken sit for a few minutes. You’ll know the chicken is cooked when you poke it and the juices run clear.
7. While it sits, take the drippings and pour them into a medium sauce pan over med-high heat. Add broth and start to bring it up to a boil. As it is slowly working it’s way up to to a boil, whisk in the xanthan 1/4tsp at a time until you get the consistency you like. Remember that it will continue to thicken as it cooks so keep it a bit on the runny side! You can always add more later if you want it thicker. Once it reaches a boil, turn the temperature low to a simmer and let simmer until ready to serve. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

NOTES

• GROW YOUR OWN: These herbs are actually super simple to grow and require very little attention! You can grow them indoors and outdoors, in pots, mason jars or straight in the ground!
• NO GREENTHUMB? No worries! Most grocery stores will sell organic herb poultry packages! Look for the herb section in produce at your local grocery store to see if they have any.

 

With love,
Heidi MacAulay
“Eat more plants. Do more yoga. Read more books.”