Saturday Night Roasted Chicken & Vegetables

Vegetables:

1 bulb fennel (the white part—slice off the green stalks & save half for the chicken), cut into wedges
6 small potatoes, peeled (I made slits ½ inch apart in each, and stuck clumps of rosemary leaves and thyme into the slits)
3-5 carrots, peeled, quartered
1 large sweet onion, quartered
6-10 green onions, chopped (green & white parts)
6 cloves garlic, peeled & smashed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In roasting pan, add 4 Tbsp olive oil & 4 Tbsp of butter (cut into chunks & softened).

Throw in the vegetables! Toss with oil & butter to coat. Sprinkle about 1 Tbsp of kosher salt & 1 Tbsp of black pepper evenly over vegetables.

Place roasting rack over top of vegetables.


Chicken rub:

3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

Combine ingredients in small bowl. Rub on chicken & inside cavity with paper towel (or your hands if you’re inclined to do such things).

Place chicken on roasting rack, breast side up.

In cavity, insert: reserved fennel stalks, 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary, 6-8 sprigs fresh thyme; tied together with a strip of cheesecloth or twine.

Tent chicken with aluminum foil. Roast chicken & vegetables for 2 - 3 hours until chicken is done, basting every 30 – 60 minutes. Remove foil towards end of roasting time, if necessary, to brown.

Remove pan from oven, tent chicken in foil & let rest 15 – 20 minutes before serving.