Recipe: Roast Chicken with Caramelized Vegetables

ROAST CHICKEN WITH CARAMELIZED VEGETABLES

1 (3 lbs) whole chicken
6 medium potatoes, quartered
4 medium carrots, sliced 1/2-inch thick diagonally
20 (approximately) shallots
3 cloves garlic, peeled
fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Salt and pepper both the inside and outside of chicken, place a bunch of thyme in to the body cavity.

Using a large, heavy, oven proof pot, cover the bottom in olive oil and heat it on top of stove to quite hot.

Brown the chicken in the pot, you might have to hold it to get all the skin browned. Place the pot with the browned chicken in it in the oven.

Cook the potatoes in boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes.

While the potatoes are par boiling, coat the bottom of a fry pan, with olive oil, and lightly brown the carrots and shallots.

Remove the pot with the chicken in it from the oven, lift the chicken out of the pot, place the lightly browned carrots and shallots into pot, return the chicken to the pot, on top of vegetables; return to oven.

Drain the potatoes, and using the same fry pan, add more olive oil and place the potatoes and garlic in the pan; lightly brown these.

Remove the pot from the oven, remove the chicken and place the potatoes and garlic in the pot, stirring it to mix the vegetables. Return chicken to the pot. Slice the skin between the body and the legs and pull it apart a bit to allow the heat to cook the legs.

Return the pot to the oven. Every so often, remove the pot from the oven and swirl it around a bit, this will prevent the vegetables from sticking to the bottom. Roast in the oven for 22 to 25 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.

TO SERVE:
Slice the chicken. Place the vegetables on a platter, place the sliced chicken on top, using the remaining juices from the pot, spoon it over the chicken a vegetables.

Servings: 4
Adapted from source: TV show: Passion for Flavor