Thanksgiving Roasted Chicken

Serves 4-6

Thanksgiving Roasted Chicken

This Thanksgiving meal brings back a lot of nostalgic memories for me. I was working as a travel nurse during the holiday and I couldn’t go back home to visit my family. Knowing that I was going to be alone, Deidre (who became one of my best nursing friends), invited me to have dinner with her family. It meant so much to me and I felt like a part of the family that day. Every year, I think about the meal that I shared with Deidre and her Dad. Invite some of your friends over during the holiday (I know us nurses work lots of holidays together!) and make this meal together. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Roasted Chicken

  • 1 (3-4 pound) whole chicken
  • 1 medium onion, medium diced
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 celery sticks, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 head of garlic, cut the top off crosswise
  • 1 fennel bulb, stalks and fronds removed, cut into wedges
  • 1 lemon, thinly sliced
  • 2 Tablespoons of minced tarragon
  • 2 teaspoons of minced thyme
  • 8 Tablespoons of softened, unsalted butter
  • 1 cup of unsalted chicken stock
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients for Mashed Potatoes

  • 4 pounds of russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 sprigs of thyme
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • 3 lemon peels
  • 6 Tablespoons of butter
  • 1 cup 2% milk
  • 1 cup of heavy cream
  • *for the milk, you could also do 1 ½ cups of any milk, plus ½ cup of heavy cream
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions for Roasted Chicken

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Remove any chicken giblets and pat the chicken dry.
  • 2. To spatchcock the chicken, lay the chicken breast side down on a cutting board and with kitchen shears, cut along each side of the backbone starting at the tail end and cut all the way to the top. Then, flip the chicken over and press on the chest bone to flatten it.
  • 3. Use your fingers to loosen the chicken skin by carefully running your fingers underneath the skin and lifting it gently away from the meat.
  • 4. For the compound butter, mix together the butter, tarragon, thyme, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. You could also freeze it in a cylinder shape and cut into ½-inch coins, which makes it easier to place under the skin.
  • 5. Add the compound butter under the skin, the remaining butter spread on the outside of the chicken. Generously, salt and pepper the front and back of the chicken.
  • 6. Add your vegetables (onions, carrots, celery, fennel) and lemon slices to the cast iron skillet or roasting pan with 1 cup of chicken stock. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables.
  • 7. Roast the chicken for 45 minutes or until the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken breast reads 150-155 F (USDA recommends the breast be 165 F for safety)
  • 8. Let rest uncovered for 15 minutes before slicing.

Directions for Mashed Potatoes

  • 1. Place potatoes in a large pot of cold, salted water (it should taste like the ocean). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until fork tender, about 20 minutes.
  • 2. While the potatoes are cooking, combine milk, lemon peels, thyme, garlic and butter together in a small saucepan. Heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • 3. Press the hot potatoes through a ricer (make sure the potatoes are hot otherwise they won’t be as fluffy) into the same pot.
  • 4. Strain the milk mixture and add to the potatoes ½ cup at the time until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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