A 2-Part Recipe: Roast Chicken & Stock

A roast chicken is often seen as a “special occasion” meal—something that you’d serve guests, or for a special family gathering. I suppose there’s something about preparing and cooking an entire bird that feels complicated. It feels like a process perhaps involving advance preparation, marinades, and obscure kitchen equipment. Actually, though, I love a good roast chicken for its simplicity. A well-executed roast chicken doesn’t take a lot of ingredients, or even a lot of time. You don’t have to marinate it overnight, buy a special roasting rack, or use any fancy ingredients. With some salt, pepper, butter, simple produce like carrots, onions, and lemons, and just 90 minutes, you can make the best roast chicken you’ve ever tasted. And it’s a meal that is indeed fit for company, or just a simple weeknight dinner.

Homemade Roast Chicken Is On Another Level

Why do I feel so confident throwing out words like “best you’ve ever tasted?” Well, because I know that a lot of the rotisserie chickens most of us get at grocery or big box stores, or the roast chicken that you’d order at a restaurant, are often hopelessly dry or—as is the case with a lot of those aforementioned rotisserie chickens—oddly…mushy. Anyone? If you’ve never made a roast chicken at home, trust me, it’s worth the little bit of effort. The meat is firm yet tender, and incredibly juicy. And you get TWO things for the price of one. Not only do you get to enjoy your glorious roast chicken with all of the delicious roasted vegetables basted in those liquid-gold pan juices (maybe with a nice arugula salad and a pile of mashed potatoes on the side), you will also get a pot of the best chicken stock you’ve ever tasted. Because any time you make roast chicken, you should DEFINITELY be making stock right after.

Why This Is a 2-Part Recipe

I’m pretty firm on that point, which is why I decided to make this a two part recipe. Part 1: The Chicken, and Part 2: The Stock. You can either use the stock right away—perhaps with some of your leftover chicken—to make chicken noodle soup, or use it in other cooking applications. Or you can pack it up and freeze it for another day. Both the roast chicken and the chicken stock are much easier to make than you think, and following through on both these recipes will ensure that you get the most out of that good quality free range or organic chicken that you bought at the grocery store. Ready? Here’s how to do it.

Recipe Instructions

Part 1: Roasting the Chicken

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and place a rack in the lower third position of your oven. Spread the onions and carrots evenly in your roasting pan. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 2 hours. If the chicken is cold, it will be difficult to cook it evenly. Remove the chicken giblets and rinse the chicken inside and out. Pat the chicken thoroughly dry with paper towels, and season the cavity liberally with salt and pepper. Then combine the melted butter and olive oil with an additional 2 ½ teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Rub this mixture all over the outside of the chicken, as well as under the skin where you can get it. Put the thyme inside the cavity, along with the lemon and garlic halves. Tie the legs together with kitchen string, and place the chicken on top of the bed of carrots and onions, breast-side up. Roast for 75-85 minutes, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken, and serve it with the vegetables. Reserve the pan drippings for the stock.

Part 2: Making the Stock

Once you’re done eating the chicken, remove the lemon halves, thyme  and garlic that you roasted the chicken with. Add the chicken carcass to a stockpot. You can also add any leftover roasted vegetables you may have. Take half of your warm water and pour it into your roasting pan. Use a spoon to lift up all the bits from the bottom of the pan, and pour the liquid from the pan into your stockpot. You can also pick up any congealed juice from your cutting board from when you carved your chicken. May sound a little off-putting, but that is flavor that you don’t want to go to waste! Add the additional 6 cups water, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Cover. Allow the stock to simmer for about 6-8 hours, periodically skimming any foam off the surface. Strain the stock into containers, and freeze, or use the stock for whatever soup or other application you like. You could even serve the stock in bowls or mugs with a pinch of salt for a warming winter tonic!