Chicken Pot Roast

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°, and prepare a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot.

Step 2

Add the quartered potatoes, carrots, parsnips, fennel, onion and garlic to a large bowl, drizzle with a good splash of olive oil, and sprinkle with a couple of good pinches of salt and pepper, and about half of the Herbes de Provence; toss to coat, and scatter on the bottom of the pot.

Step 3

Next, pour the chicken stock/broth and the wine over the veggies.

Step 4

Place the chicken in front of you on a work surface, and drizzle it with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, rubbing it into the skin; next, season all sides of the bird and the cavity with a total of about 2-3 teaspoons of the sea salt and about 1 teaspoon of black pepper (you need to season this much meat quite liberally), then sprinkle over the rest of the Herbes de Provence.

Step 5

Tuck the wing tips behind the chicken, and simply tie the legs together with some kitchen twine to help keep the chicken more “together” as it roasts; then, insert a digital thermometer into the thickest part of the breast horizontally, taking care not to touch the bone.

Step 6

Place the chicken, breast-side up, on top of the vegetables, and place the pot into the oven (uncovered), and roast until the temperature registers 165° (roughly 1 ½ hours, depending on the size of your chicken).

Step 7

Once roasted, using tongs or two spoons, carefully tip the chicken forward so that any accumulated juices run out of the cavity and onto the veggies, then allow the chicken to rest for about 15-20 minutes.

Step 8

Once rested, sprinkle the herbs over top and serve, cutting slices of chicken and enjoying spoonfuls of veggies in sauce alongside. (I'll usually lift the chicken out of the pot and set it on a board for a moment, and give the veggies a little stir to incorporate them with the juices; then, I return the chicken back on top of the veggies and serve.)