Take a closer look

 

Anyone else like those really close up photographs that make you guess the subject?  Here's a hint: it's a vegetable.

It's an artichoke!

I bought a couple of artichokes this week and much to my surprise, my children did not know what they were!  (I felt like I had failed them as a chef.)  Once I gathered composure and quizzed the kids on every other vegetable that I could find in the kitchen, I quartered my artichokes and go ot work on my chicken dinner. 

I'm a big fan of brined chicken so when I found this recipe for a dry brined chicken from Williams Sonoma - I just had to try it.  The recipe calls for a special dry brine that you can purchase from Williams Sonoma but I decided to come up with my own instead. 

Dry Brined Chicken and Meyer Lemon-Roasted Vegetables
4 Tablespoons kosher salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons dried sage
1 chicken
2 Meyer lemons, cut into 1/4" rings
4 artichokes, outer leaves, removed and quartered
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1" wedges
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons white wine







Combine first 5 ingredients and rub over chicken. 

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8-24 hours. 
Stir together 3/4 of the lemon slices, artichokes, potatoes, garlic, salt, pepper and oil. 

Put vegetables into the bottom of a roasting pan. 









Rinse chicken under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place remaining lemon slices inside chicken cavity.  Place the chicken on top of the vegetables and cook 30 minutes at 425. 

Rotate roasting pan 180 degrees and roast another 30 minutes.  Transfer chicken to a platter and tent with foil for at least 10 minutes. 

I served this chicken with steamed broccoli and our yummy Meyer lemon vegetables.  

The skin was crispy and the meat was juicy and delicious.  This is my new favorite roasted chicken recipe.

Ciao!

Dry Brined Chicken and Meyer Lemon-Roasted Vegetables
4 Tablespoons kosher salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons dried sage
1 chicken
2 Meyer lemons, cut into 1/4" rings
4 artichokes, outer leaves, removed and quartered
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1" wedges
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons white wine