My sincere apologies for the quick-snapped shot of this delicious chicken, but we were starving. And it only occurred to me to take a photo after half of it had been carved. But the aroma was calling, calling, calling us to eat. And I just couldn’t delay any longer!
This is another recipe out of The Herbfarm Cookbook, which has served as my mid-afternoon-sit-down-with-a-snack–and-read book for the past number of days. We ate it along side that yummy Marjoram-scented cornbread…
I baked it in a 9×13 baking dish, and when it was half-way done, I added some salted zucchini and red onions chunks. Mmm, good. If you want to serve it with carrots or potatoes, salt them and add them to the pan, under the chicken, before putting the chicken in the oven.
Bay Laurel roasted chicken adapted from The Herbfarm Cookbook, by Jerry Traunfeld
*note that you must only use fresh Bay Laurel leaves for this recipe. California Bay and dried Bay are far too strong, but you could easily substitute sprigs of another herb such as thyme, or marjoram.
*also note that baking this chicken creates a lot of smoke as the fat spatters around in the oven. Be sure to turn on your ventilation fan (or open the windows if you have poor ventilation, as we do!)
- 1 3-1/2 pound chicken
- 2-3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 6-8 fresh Bay Laurel leaves, depending upon their size
- optional 2 cloves garlic, sliced
One to two days before cooking, sprinkle the salt over all sides of the chicken, including the cavity. Use your fingers to loosen the skin around the breast and legs. Gently crush the Bay Laurel leaves. Stuff 2 of them into the cavity, and the remaining leaves with the optional garlic under the loosened skin. Place in the refrigerator to “cure” until you are ready to cook.
Preheat your oven to 475 degrees. Place the chicken, breast side up, in a 9×13 baking dish and set in the oven to bake. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the juices run clear in both the breast and the thigh. Pull from the oven and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving and serving. (And if you’re like us, you’ll save the chicken fat from the bottom of the pan for sauteing vegetables in the future!)
