2008 Chardonnay Roasted Chicken
Roasted Chicken with Apples, Onions and Fingerling Potatoes
Serves 4
This is the only way I have found to roast chicken in which the leg-thigh portion and the breast finish cooking at about the same time. You can also use this method of removing the backbone and laying the chicken out flat when grilling or smoking. The meat really retains its juices. Everything works together in this dish; the high oven temperature makes the skin very crispy, and the apples and onions become very sweet and saucy from steaming under the roasting chicken. This is a great crossover wine dish since it pairs well with oak-aged whites, such as the Groth Chardonnay.—Kimball Jones, Culinary Director
“A one-pot-wonder! So easy even I can do it. I had to marry a chef because I cannot cook.” ~Suzanne Groth
1 (31/2- to 4-pound) chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large Gravenstein, Fuji, or Granny Smith apple, thickly sliced
1 large yellow onion, sliced
1 pound Fingerling potatoes (you could substitute red, new, or Yukon gold)
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
When flattening chicken, the object is to remove the backbone, cut through the rib cage, and keep it all in one piece, connected by the skin. To do this, lay the chicken breast-side down. Using a sharp knife, cut along the backbone, detaching the thigh bone from the backbone. Continue cutting along the backbone, through the rib cage, to the wing. Detach the wing joint from the back. Repeat on the other side and remove the backbone. Make a small incision at the bottom of either side of the breastbone. Crack the breastbone at the incisions. The chicken should lay fairly flat now. Rub chicken liberally with olive oil. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Place the apple and onion in a roasting pan. Place the chicken, skin side up, on top of the apple and onion. Toss in potatoes and make sure they get rolled in olive oil and salted. Roast until the juices run clear when the chicken thigh is pierced with a knife, 50 to 60 minutes.
To serve, cut the chicken into quarters. Place a breast or leg-thigh on each plate. Divide the potatoes among the plates. With a slotted spoon, scoop the apples and onions from the roasting pan and place over the chicken. Enjoy with Groth Chardonnay!
