Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
2 recipes that make the most of a whole chicken
This dinner series illustrates how a whole chicken can be put to good use creatively.
First, a chicken is liberally seasoned with fresh herbs and lemon, then roasted to perfection and the breasts served fresh out of the oven over a fabulous lemon-garlic orzo.
The wings, legs, and thighs get a makeover for the second dinner, an easy sheet pan curried chicken.
The chicken pieces are tossed with curry powder — spiced coconut milk, roasted with vegetables, and served over white rice.
If you have extra time while the chicken is roasting, go ahead and chop the vegetables for the curried chicken and store them in the fridge, so all you have to do tomorrow night is toss everything together.
Once the chicken has about 15 minutes left to cook, get started on the orzo. It will be ready as soon as the chicken has rested.
Herb-Crusted Roasted Chicken With Lemon-Garlic Orzo
For the chicken:
1 (3 ½- to 4-pound) whole chicken
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Lemon-Garlic Orzo:
12 ounces dried orzo
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
½ small red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove the giblets from the cavity of the chicken and pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.
In a small bowl, mix the butter, oregano, rosemary and thyme until well combined. Rub about half the herb butter over the outside of the chicken. Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the breast and smear the rest of the herb butter under the skin.
Place the chicken in a roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet. Tuck the wing tips under the joint where the wing meets the chicken’s body. Using about 6 inches of kitchen twine, tie the ends of the drumsticks together. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper.
Roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees, about for 1 hour 10 minutes. If the skin starts to brown too deeply, simply tent the chicken with a piece of aluminum foil.
Meanwhile, make the lemon-garlic orzo: Cook the orzo according to the package instructions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, onion, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to the orzo and stir to combine.
Remove the chicken from the oven, tent it with foil (if it’s not already tented), and let rest for 10 minutes. Carve the legs, thighs, and wings from the chicken, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate to use for Curried Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner (it will keep for up to 5 days). Carve the breasts from the chicken and slice them.
Divide the chicken breasts and orzo between two or three plates. Garnish with the parsley and serve.
Makes 2 to 3 servings.
Curried Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
¼ cup fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Cooked chicken thighs, legs and wings (reserved from Meal One)
1 red bell pepper, cut into
½-inch-thick strips
6 large carrots, cut into 1-inch thick rounds
1 cup uncooked white rice, rinsed (optional)
¼ cup chopped peanuts, for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, lime juice, curry powder and salt. Add the chicken pieces, bell pepper and carrots to the curry sauce and toss to combine. Spread the chicken and vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet. Discard any remaining curry mixture. Bake until the chicken is golden and the skin is crisp and the vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the rice (if using) according to the package instructions.
Garnish the chicken and vegetables with the peanuts and cilantro and serve over the rice, if desired.
Makes 2 to 3 servings.
Excerpt from “Cook Once Dinner Fix: Quick and Exciting Ways to Transform Tonight’s Dinner into Tomorrow’s Feast” by Cassy Joy Garcia; reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc.