Roasting an Organic Free-Range Chicken {Fancy Roast Chicken}

The tag-line is fancy chicken which as a child I would've never dared to dream calling the way I grew up around fancy chickens fancy because I was privy to seeing Dad pulling out the Rubbermaid garbage can, filling it with scalding hot water (how did he logistically do that?), dipping the chicken that was just running around with its head cut off (literally - wow, that sounds cruel, but I remember it being a moment of hilarity) into the hot water, holding onto its chicken feet running the carcass over the rubber-knobbed machine that knocked the feathers out then ... oh, so many more gross things to remember about processing chickens that I won't put into words. Really. Fancy? Yet this chicken is fancy in my book. Why? Because the damn price tag, that's why! The things I'll sacrifice to feed my family wholesome, untarnished food. Later I'll be blessed, right? Are you on the organic, free-range, happy bird, but soooo very expensive compared to what you've been buying at Cub Foods chicken band wagon yet? Jump on the bandwagon and pick yourself up a fancy bird here. I'll admit, this is my first go at Fancy Chicken. I turned to Nourished Kitchen to guide me in my Fancy Chicken Roasting. Who else knows about unfettered, wholesome farm food better? I love her recipes! They are always just that - nourishing.

The great thing about roasting a gigantic bird like this is that you have so many options throughout the week. My following recipes went something like this: the drippings from the roasting pan (a delicious mix of Chardonnay and fatty chicken juices) bathed our first chicken dinner (chicken, broccoli, egg noodles - simple and yumm), then the remaining pan drippings were refrigerated to later congeal into a jello-like substance that I can't help but be completely assured have the greatest healing powers that no head cold stands a fighting chance against. The congealed potion went into a fragrant pot of White Chicken Chili and life was great - every slurp was nourishing. The carcass and chicken skin took a bath with a whole onion, skin and all, a huge head of garlic, a couple carrots, some celery and fistfuls of fresh herbs, kosher salt and peppercorns turning into 6 quarts of healing broth and... that's about it! Chicken all week long! A bird that has enjoyed a happy life tastes so much better than a bird that has been caged with other sad little birds. True Story. 

Go to Nourished Kitchen's website to get the recipe now!

Get a bird like this here!

See a cute pic of my kids here! Just kidding.