One-Pan Dinner
Cast-Iron Roast Chicken and Root Vegetables
Prepare the chicken, put it over seasoned vegetables, insert the thermometer, and let the oven take over.
What to do
The method
- 01
Heat the oven.
Heat the oven to 350°F. Set a large cast-iron skillet nearby.
- 02
Prepare the vegetables.
Cut the root vegetables into roughly even pieces. Toss them with enough olive oil to coat, then season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and thyme if you want them. Spread the vegetables in the skillet.
- 03
Prepare the chicken.
Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity. Season the cavity with salt. Pat the outside of the chicken thoroughly dry.
- 04
Season the outside.
Rub the skin with softened butter or olive oil, then season generously with salt and pepper. Set the chicken breast-side up on top of the vegetables.
- 05
Place the thermometer.
Insert an oven-safe thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone.
- 06
Roast.
Place the skillet in the oven and roast until the thermometer reaches at least 165°F and the vegetables are tender. A 4-pound chicken usually takes about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours at 350°F; a 5-to-7-pound chicken may take 2 to 2 1/4 hours. Use the temperature—not the clock—as the final answer.
- 07
Rest and serve.
Let the chicken rest for about 15 minutes before carving. Stir the vegetables through the pan juices and taste them for seasoning.
What I learned
Put it in the oven. Open a beer. Relax.
The clock only tells you when to start checking. The thermometer tells you when dinner is ready. Once the chicken is prepared and the probe is in place, there is very little left to manage.