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Veggie-Nested Roast Chicken

Lodge Cast Iron | June 26, 2023

Hosting dinner is all about pulling out the stops—make it taste wonderful, make it smell great, and of course, make it look fantastic. And a whole roasted chicken fits the bill. Here, we create a “nest” of root vegetables to give that chicken a bit of height in the oven, and the result is a beautiful, layered bottom full of big flavor from the bird. And did we mention this is a one-pot meal? Make it in our USA Enamel™ dutch oven and serve directly to the table for something that looks like a lot of work, but really couldn’t be simpler.

Level
Beginner
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
75 minutes
Serves
4-6
Veggie Nested Roast Chicken

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, 5-6 pounds
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 lemons, quartered
2 shallots, cut in half
6 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly
4 medium parsnips, peeled and sliced thinly
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 sprigs thyme, plus 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons shaved parmesan

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375° F.
  2. Dry the chicken with paper towels, season with salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon thyme. Stuff the bird with lemon wedges and shallots, then truss.
  3. Make sweet potato and parsnip stacks: pile up 4 slices of sweet potato and two slices of parsnips, repeating until the stack is approximately 4 inches tall. Repeat until all the parsnips and sweet potatoes are stacked.
  4. Oil the inside of a large dutch oven and lay the stacks inside the dutch oven beginning around the perimeter. Fan out until the slices make a complete ring. Repeat with remaining stacks until the bottom of the cookware is full. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Add thyme sprigs and top with trussed bird.
  5. Cover and roast for 1 hour. Remove the lid and continue to roast for 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is beautifully browned and cooked through.
  6. Remove the bird from the dutch oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. Sprinkle sweet potatoes and parsnips with parmesan. Serve sliced chicken atop layers of sweet potato.
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Contributed By: Lodge Cast Iron

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