Farm Fresh Rubber Chicken

Herbs and onions arent enough

I enjoyed my eggs from my CSA share more than any other. Its almost if there is a breath of country air in actually inside each yolk. I leaped at the opportunity to order and eat the same chickens sold in fresh halves from my farmer. My roommate and I signed up for half a chicken every other week.

Week one I decided to roast the chicken (rather than brine it or braise in a sauce) to really experience the flavor. The farm fresh flavor of the eggs is in the chicken too, but the texture is not nice. Tough, to say the least. Juicy, flavorful, tough chicken. We roasted week threes chicken as well, also tough. I know how to cook a grocery store chicken, but this was my first natural chicken. Its not the same bird, so Im going to have to re-learn how to cook it. Any guesses why the grocery store chicken is more palatable then the natural farm one?

Herb Roasted Farm Chicken

1 large onion cut into 1/2 inch hunks
1 tsp white wine
1 garlic clove minced
1 half chicken
1 tblsp butter, room temp
1 tblsp chopped fresh herbs, I used basil and parsley but oregano, mint, or thyme would all work
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 350. Add onion, wine, garlic to a dutch oven and toss. In a small bowl mix butter and herbs with a fork. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Starting at the neck, using your finger tips, slowly raise the skin up off body of the chicken. Be gentle, and go slow so as not to rip the skin. Grab half of the herb butter and smooth directly on chicken flesh, under skin. Rub the remaining half over the outside of the chicken. Lay chicken on top of the onions in the dutch oven. Cover generously with salt and pepper.

Place in oven. Baste every 15 minutes. Cook until a thermometer reaches 160 degrees when placed in the thickest part of the bird about 25-30 more minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully place bird on carving board. Cover with foil, and let sit for 10 minutes. Return the onions to the oven for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned on the edges. Carve the bird and serve with onions. Probably and abundant amount of dipping sauce too if its a tough farm bird.

Moist, juicy, but not chewable

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