Dutch Oven Chicken
A recipe from Create Cooking Challenge 2017 winner Buki Elegbede.
Recipe Ingredients
- - (4 ½ - 5 lb) whole roasting chicken, giblets removed and discarded, wings tucked under back
- - 2 teaspoons kosher salt (use ½ the salt for a kosher chicken) or 1 teaspoon table salt (use ½ the salt for a kosher chicken)
- - ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- - 1 tablespoon olive oil
- - 1 small onion, chopped medium (about ½ cup)
- - 1 small celery rib, chopped medium (about ¼ cup)
- - 6 medium garlic cloves, peeled and trimmed
- - 1 bay leaf
- - 1 medium fresh rosemary sprig (2 teaspoons)
- - 2 teaspoons thyme
- - 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Recipe Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 250 degrees F. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in large (5- to 8- quart) Dutch oven over medium heat until just smoking. Add chicken breast-side down. Cook until breast is browned, about 5-7 minutes. Using a wooden spoon or large tongs (be careful not to pierce the skin) insert into cavity of bird and flip chicken, breast-side up.
- Add onion, celery, garlic, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf around the chicken
- Remove Dutch oven from heat; place large sheet of foil over pot and cover tightly with lid. Transfer pot to oven and cook until instant-read thermometer registers 175 degrees F in thickest part of thigh, about 110 minutes.
- Transfer chicken to carving board, tent with foil, and rest 15 minutes.
- Strain chicken juices from pot through a fat separator. Allow liquid to settle 5 minutes.
- Carve chicken, adding any accumulated juices to saucepan with lemon juice. Serve with chicken juices.