This fabulous recipe is from Bon Appetit. My sister and her boyfriend had made it several times, so it came highly recommended. The chicken is roasted at a lower temperature for a longer period of time, so make sure to plan ahead to give it enough time to cook. I increased the sauce volume a little and modified how the potatoes were cooked, as the potatoes were consistently coming out undercooked during recipe testing. Whole chickens are usually available fresh from most grocery stores, but I find the best deal on them at Costco. Costco sells them in a 2-pack, so I'll use one and freeze the other for later. The key with this fantastic pan sauce is to serve this chicken with the skillet in the middle of the table and with crusty bread for dipping!
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
5 tablespoons gochujang
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 heads garlic
1/2-inch piece ginger, grated
1 1/2 pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes
5 scallions, thinly sliced diagonally
2 limes
2 teaspoons honey
Preparation:
1. Place oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Place chicken on a large cutting board. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Make sure cavity is empty. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a small bowl, whisk gochujang, 1/4 cup olive oil, and grated ginger together. Separate 3 cloves from one of the heads of garlic and mince. Whisk into sauce.
4. Peal outer lining of garlic, keeping the heads intact. Cut the heads of garlic in half. Peel the top halves and stuff inside the chicken cavity. Tie chicken legs together with kitchen twine.
5. Use a pastry brush to thoroughly coat chicken in gochujang sauce.
6. Bring a pot of water to boil. Par boil potatoes for about 7-8 minutes. This will partially cook the potatoes ahead of baking to make sure they cook all the way through during roasting. Drain potatoes and toss in remaining gochujang sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Brush bottom halves of garlic with remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.
8. Assemble the cast iron for roasting. Place the two garlic heads, cut side up, in the center of the pan. Place chicken on top of the garlic heads. Place potatoes around the outside of the chicken, trying to keep them in a single layer. Be careful none of the potatoes get stuck under the chicken.
9. Roast chicken and potatoes for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Toss the potatoes a few times during roasting so they cook evenly. A meat thermometer should read 165 degrees at the deepest part of the breast. Remove pan from oven. Move chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 10-15 minutes. The chicken needs to rest in order for it to hold its juices.
10. While chicken is resting, finish up the pan sauce for the potatoes. Squeeze the remaining garlic cloves from the base of the heads into the skillet. Stir in honey, juice of 1 lime, and sliced scallions. Cut 1 lime into wedges for serving.
11. Carve chicken, arranging pieces in the skillet with potatoes. Garnish with lime wedges. Serve immediately with crusty bread.
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
5 tablespoons gochujang
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 heads garlic
1/2-inch piece ginger, grated
1 1/2 pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes
5 scallions, thinly sliced diagonally
2 limes
2 teaspoons honey
Preparation:
1. Place oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Place chicken on a large cutting board. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Make sure cavity is empty. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a small bowl, whisk gochujang, 1/4 cup olive oil, and grated ginger together. Separate 3 cloves from one of the heads of garlic and mince. Whisk into sauce.
4. Peal outer lining of garlic, keeping the heads intact. Cut the heads of garlic in half. Peel the top halves and stuff inside the chicken cavity. Tie chicken legs together with kitchen twine.
5. Use a pastry brush to thoroughly coat chicken in gochujang sauce.
6. Bring a pot of water to boil. Par boil potatoes for about 7-8 minutes. This will partially cook the potatoes ahead of baking to make sure they cook all the way through during roasting. Drain potatoes and toss in remaining gochujang sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Brush bottom halves of garlic with remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.
8. Assemble the cast iron for roasting. Place the two garlic heads, cut side up, in the center of the pan. Place chicken on top of the garlic heads. Place potatoes around the outside of the chicken, trying to keep them in a single layer. Be careful none of the potatoes get stuck under the chicken.
9. Roast chicken and potatoes for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Toss the potatoes a few times during roasting so they cook evenly. A meat thermometer should read 165 degrees at the deepest part of the breast. Remove pan from oven. Move chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 10-15 minutes. The chicken needs to rest in order for it to hold its juices.
10. While chicken is resting, finish up the pan sauce for the potatoes. Squeeze the remaining garlic cloves from the base of the heads into the skillet. Stir in honey, juice of 1 lime, and sliced scallions. Cut 1 lime into wedges for serving.
11. Carve chicken, arranging pieces in the skillet with potatoes. Garnish with lime wedges. Serve immediately with crusty bread.