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roasted chicken, fingerling potatoes, sunflower seed pesto
it is freight house’s permanent stance that everyone should know how to roast a chicken. while it takes a little time, the results are totally worth it. not only is it more cost effective to buy a whole bird, but it is also a great way to set yourself up for a new dish from the leftovers the next day. below is our recipe for a delicious roasted chicken with fingerling potatoes and sunflower seed pesto. enjoy.
ingredients
chicken
  • 1 whole chicken (you pick the size)
  • 2-4 tbsp oil (evo, vegetable, butter)
  • 1-2 tbsp herbs de provence
  • 1-2 each lemon
  • 1-2 each orange
  • 1 each large red onion cut into wedges
  • 3-4 each carrots cut into 2” sections
  • 1 lb fingerling potatoes washed
sunflower seed pesto
  • 1 cup sunflower seeds toasted
  • 4 each cloves of garlic
  • 2 oz mint stems removed
  • 1 cup parsley washed
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 each zest of lemon (need juice from ½ of one lemon)
  • 2 each zest of oranges
  • salt
  • pepper
instructions
chicken

  1. gather all ingredients. preheat oven to 325°. remove the giblet package from inside chicken. rinse the bird with water and dry thoroughly. fold his wing tips under his drummies so that his wings won’t burn. season the inside heavily with salt and pepper. sprinkle in the herbs de provence. cut the lemon and orange in half and put inside cavity.

  2. make a small slit behind the tendon in one of the chicken’s legs. push the other leg through that hole to hold the legs together. this is a shortcut to trussing. massage the outside of the chicken with oil and season again with salt and pepper.

  3. cook chicken breast side up in a roasting pan. if skin starts to get to dark, drape with a piece of foil. when 45 minutes remain, add your onion, carrot, and potatoes to the bottom of the roasting pan. while chicken is cooking prepare your sunflower seed pesto.

  4. when chicken is done cooking, remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. check to see if potatoes and carrots are soft. you can remove the chicken from the roasting pan and return pan to oven if needed to finish cooking vegetable.


    *a good basic rule to follow is 45 minutes for any chicken, plus 7 minutes for each pound. this is for an unchilled, unstuffed bird. add 10 minutes for a chilled bird. add 15 to 20 minutes if you put stuffing/dressing inside. the herbs and citrus are not considered a stuffing.


    *there are several ways to tell if a chicken is done. the easiest is a thermometer where the thigh and body meet. it should read 160-165, no higher. one way to tell is if you pull on the drumstick and it removes easily from the socket. another, is when you prick the meat deeply and the juices run clear yellow with no traces of a rose color.

sunflower seed pesto

  1. gather all ingredients. add toasted sunflower seeds to food processor and pulse into medium

    pieces. remove seeds and set aside. put garlic in food processor and chop. add mint, parsley, and olive oil and pulse until all chopped. add zest and seeds to herbs and pulse until a pesto. season with salt and pepper