The Newlyweds' Cookbook's Whole Roasted Chicken with Prunes & Thyme

Tonight I attempted my second whole roasted chicken! You can see my first whole chicken recipe from the Barefoot Contessa by clicking the link. This time I was a little wiser as my mom had since shown me how to correctly tie the legs together with twine. I didn’t look at the weight of the chicken when I was picking one out at the market, and this one was at least 1 lb. heavier/bigger than the last one I made. We’ll be having chicken sandwiches for a few days to come!

©EverydayCookingAdventures 2012

I added large chunks of turnip and sweet potato in with the onion and prunes in the base of the roasting pan. I also massaged the salt and pepper and a little ground thyme into the cavity and skin of the chicken so that when I poured the red wine over top, I wouldn’t lose the nice herb flavor. My chicken started to get overly brown after just 30 minutes even though I had it on the lowest rack in the oven, so I covered it loosely with foil and just lifted it off and on as I basted throughout the next hour.

©EverydayCookingAdventures 2012

I’m thinking the butter may have made the chicken skin get a little too crispy too quick so next time I might lessen it to 1 tbsp or so–although it was soooo yummy I might just keep it the same. The chicken came out delicious, with very white and moist meat and nice, crispy skin. We had a whole half of the chicken left for tomorrow. The only change I’d make is to add the sweet potato and turnip for only the last 40 minutes or so because some of the pieces got a bit burnt. Actually, some of the prunes got glazed and therefore somewhat hardened too. Maybe I’d just add all the accompanying bits for the last 40-45 minutes instead of at the beginning. Here’s my whole chicken:

Whole Roasted Chicken with Prunes & Thyme ©EverydayCookingAdventures 2012

Whole Roasted Chicken with Prunes & Thyme

The Newlywed’s Cookbook 2006

Serves 4 (or 2 with leftovers)

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, about 4 lbs
4 red onions, peeled and cut into 6 wedges
1 1/2 cups pitted prunes
2 3/4 cups red wine
1 teaspoon sugar
a bunch of thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons butter
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
kitchen string/twine

Directions

1. Loosely tie the legs of the chicken together with twine to keep its plump shape while cooking. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and put it in a large roasting pan.

2. Put the onions and prunes around the chicken and pour the wine over the top. Sprinkle with the sugar and thyme sprigs, then dot the butter over the chicken.

3. Roast the chicken in a preheated oven at 400ºF for about 1 1/2 hours, basting frequently, until the chicken is dark golden brown and cooked all the way through. To test for doneness, use a small knife or skewer to pierce the thickest part of the leg through to the bone–it is cooked when the juices that run out are clear and there is no trace of pink.

4. Remove the chicken to a cutting board, carve, and serve with the onion and prunes.