perfect roasted chicken

as i took my dog for a meander in the blue light that is dusk taking over the afternoon sun, the aromas that lingered in the air around our house were intoxicating. all of the scents associated with the chicken that i had previously roasted were recognizable and blended ever so gently with the smells of decaying foliage and lake superior. the rosemary that was stuffed in the carcass, the smoked sea salt that flecked the skin, and the root vegetables that roasted in the rendered chicken fat were all so alive in the air. i couldn't wander past the smells, and eventually i just became lazy and went back inside to be hugged by the memories of my roasted chicken.

my daughter and i sat side by side at the dinner table. we lit a candle for ambiance. she had a princess glass with a silly straw. i had wine. it was beautiful. we savored the crispy skin, the buttery-tender flesh, and homemade biscuits dripping with butter and homemade jam. i didn't want the moment to end. eventually it came to a close. three year olds aren't as into reflecting on vivid moments as their parents, and so stuffed tigers and baby dolls had a tea party, and i embarked in clean up.

this picturesque roast chicken is very easy. it's really an equation of love and neglect. i put some effort into flavoring the chicken in the beginning. i rubbed smoked sea salt and cracked pepper into the skin and shoved a few sprigs of rosemary into the chicken, gave it a couple of love pats, and sent it into a 425 degree oven. you could elaborate more with herbs and spices, but i was a simpleton, and needed to balance the love with the neglect, and so i kept it stream-lined. the most important little maneuver that helps with ever-so-tender flesh is roasting the chicken up-side down for half of the duration of the baking time. i start the bird out upside down in the roasting pan. the white meat of the breasts cooks in all of the juices and fat that pools at the bottom of the pan. then i neglect the chicken for a little while. i usually give my daughter a rock skipping lesson, we explore the back woods a bit, and then return inside and flip the bird over. i also turn the oven down to 375 degrees, and add a mix of root vegetables to roast alongside the chicken. as the chicken finishes roasting, the skin surrounding the breast meat crisps up, and the root veggies get tender and slightly crispy as they catch the chicken fat rendering off of the bird as it roasts. another round of rock-skipping and an episode of dora, and the chicken was done! i whipped up a batch of whole wheat buttermilk biscuits and baked them while the chicken rested.

we not only savored the aromas and flavors of the roast chicken once, but twice as i made a roasted chicken stock. as the evening came to a close, i added the remainder of the bones and carcass of the chicken into a stock pot. i threw in generous amounts of herbs and garlic and covered the lot with plenty of water. i allowed the stock to simmer over-night, and strained the stock this morning before breakfast. we awoke to our noses full of humid air smelling of roast chicken and herbs, prolonging the memories of our roasted chicken. i'll use the stock later in the week, or freeze it for future soup. belly up!!