Richard's Iron-Roasted Hen with Green Beans
Roasted chicken was said to be Richard Lionheart's favorite since childhood; it was also his downfall. Legend is that Richard, crusader king in hiding, was captured and sent to a ransomer dungeon by giving himself away insisting on having roasted chicken made to his nurse-maid Hodierna's recipe. The skin of this chicken is so crispy, and the meat so succulent, it needs little adornment other than salt and pepper. The long red Rossa-Lunga onions superbly caramelize. Everything is roasted in a cast-iron pan except steamed green beans that are tossed with the juices and frond at the end. As with most foods, the better the quality of the ingredients, the better the results. Cook a good, naturally raised, minimally processed chicken.
Yield 6 servings
Ingredients
1 chicken, about 4 pounds
8 rosa lunga (torpedo) onions, cleaned, skin left on (can substitute shallots, small onions like cipollini onions)
1 tablespoon sea salt, to taste
1 teaspoon just-ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons oil, divided use
1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
| 1 | Preheat oven to 425°F. If using convection, set it to roast at 400°F. |
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| 2 | Using paper towels or clean kitchen towels, dry the chicken thoroughly, including inside the body cavity. |
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| 3 | Sprinkle salt and pepper all over chicken, including back and sides. |
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| 4 | Heat cast iron pan on stovetop with oil. When hot, add a bit of oil to center. Remove from heat. |
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| 5 | Lay whole hen on sizzling pan which crisps up the back of the chicken. Immediately place pan with hen in the center rack of oven. Reduce heat to 400° |
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| 6 | Toss onions in olive oil. Add them to pan after 15 minutes and rotate pan 180°. Roast for 30 minutes more. |
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| 7 | Steam green beans. |
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| 8 | When chicken is done, remove pan from oven. Move chicken and onions to a plate. If the chicken did not produce much juice, then make a 'Simple Pan Sauce for Poultry' to pan. Scrape frond off bottom of pan, mixing into juices. |
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| 9 | Toss green beans in juices. Drizzle Balsamic vinegar on onions. |
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| 10 | Return chicken and onions to pan. |
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| 11 | Serve in pan at the table, cut desired pieces for guests. Serve joints with an onion and dress with a spoon of pan juices. |
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notes
NOTE. If your chicken is larger than 4 lbs, roast as directed above for the first 30 minutes, then reduce temperature by 25°. For every pound over 4 pounds, add 10 minutes to the initial 1 hour cooking time (example: a 5-pound chicken will take 70 minutes total cooking time.)
