Aleppo Pepper and Dill Roast Chicken
Posted by kasdemion Admin on
Servings: 4
This chicken roasts on a bed of potatoes and fennel. The Aleppo pepper, herbs, and butter melt into the vegetables, flavoring them and making them downright irresistible.
Ingredients
- 1 3- to 3-1/2-lb. whole chicken
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 oz. (12 Tbs.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1-1/2 Tbs. lemon zest, from 2 medium lemons
- 1-1/2 Tbs. Aleppo pepper
- 1 Tbs. minced garlic
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh dill
- 2 lb. small new potatoes, halved
- 1 medium fennel bulb, cut into 8 wedges, core intact (about 1 lb.)
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
Preparation
- Position a rack in the lower third of the oven, and heat the oven to 375°F.
- Pat the chicken dry inside and out with paper towels. Season the cavity with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Tuck the wings behind the back, and truss the legs with kitchen twine.
- Put the butter, zest, Aleppo pepper, garlic, and chopped herbs in a medium bowl, and blend with a silicone spatula until well combined.
- Reserve 1/4 cup of the butter mixture. Rub the rest over the chicken, and season with 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss the potatoes and fennel with the oil, 1-1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Pour the vegetables into a medium roasting pan. Put the chicken breast side up on top of the vegetables. Transfer to the oven, and roast until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F in the thickest part of the thigh and the chicken is golden-brown, 1 to 1-1/2 hours. If the chicken browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil.
- Remove the chicken from the oven, tent with foil, and let rest for 25 minutes. Season the vegetables to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the carved chicken and vegetables with the reserved butter.