Chicken, Roasted w/Veggies

Składniki

Chicken:

• 4 chicken leg quarters (about 1.2 kg / 2.5 lb total)

• 20g (1 T + 2 t) salt

• 5g (1 t) sugar

• 3g (1 t) garlic powder

• 3g (1 t) onion powder

• 3g (1 t) poultry seasoning

• olive oil

Vegetables:

• 300g (2 med) onions, chopped into medium pieces (about 2 c)

• 300g (3 med) carrots, cut into 1¼ in obliques

• 450g (3 med) russet potatoes, large dice

• 300g (1 lg bulb) fennel, medium dice

• 60mL (4 T) olive oil

• 8-10g (1 1/2 t) salt

Quick chicken jus (optional):

• 30g (2 T) butter

• 30g (1/4 c) all-purpose flour

• 400g (1 ¾ c) chicken stock

• 5-10g (1–1 ½ t) chicken base (Better Than Bouillon or similar)

• 1/2 c (120 mL) water or stock, for deglazing sheet tray

Wskazówki

1. Heat oven to 300 °F / 150 °C. If your chicken leg quarters still have a piece of backbone attached near the thigh, slice along the bone, open the joint, and cut through to remove it. (This takes about 5 minutes and makes for even roasting.)

2. In a bowl, combine salt, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and poultry seasoning. Stir to mix.

3. Place one leg in a large bowl and sprinkle 4–5 big pinches of the seasoning mix over all sides, tossing to coat. Repeat with remaining legs, using all of the mix. The amount of salt and sugar is balanced for 4 legs—use it all.

4. Arrange the seasoned chicken, skin side up, on a sheet tray. Roast at 300 °F / 150 °C for 75 minutes. The goal is gentle rendering—fat fully melted, skin dry, and meat tender. Internal temp after this time should reach at least 160 °F / 71 °C.

5. Add a second empty sheet tray to the oven to preheat while chicken roasts and you prep the veggies. Chop onions, carrots, potatoes, and fennel into rustic, fairly large pieces (1–1¼ in).

6. When the 75 minutes are up, remove chicken and raise oven temp to 450 °F / 230 °C. Brush or drizzle the chicken skin with about 1 T olive oil so it glistens.

7. Remove the preheated sheet tray from the oven, spray or brush with oil, spread the vegetables evenly across, ensuring potatoes make contact with the tray.

8. Return both trays—chicken and vegetables—to the oven. Roast together 20–25 minutes, until the chicken skin is deep golden and crisp and vegetables are tender.

9. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour to form a roux and cook 30 seconds. Add stock and chicken base, whisking to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook 2 minutes until slightly thickened. Set aside. Underseason at this point since we’ll add salty chicken drippings later.

9. When the chicken is done (target 185 °F / 85 °C in the thigh), remove from oven. If the vegetables need more color after 20 mins, switch oven to broil on high. Broil 5 minutes, stir, then broil another 5 minutes until caramelized and roasty.

10. Pour off or scrape up all browned drippings and fond from the chicken tray using about ½ c water or stock and a wooden spoon. Stir these drippings into the prepared sauce and bring back to a simmer for a minute or two. This deepens flavor and seasons the jus.