Pan Roasted Chicken

 

I've tried many variations of roasted chicken and this one is my favorite.  The cooking method is from a recipe I found at The Steamy Kitchen. If I didn't have such a finicky family, I would make it using their entire recipe (Roast split chicken with lemony artichoke sauce).Unfortunately, my husband and one son are picky... hubby is getting better though.

  I love that it was partially cooked in my cast iron skillet and went from stove top to oven.  The chicken was moist on the inside and crisp on the outside; who could ask for more? I even used the pan drippings and made a gravy for the mashed potatoes. In the pictures you can see toothpicks. When I butterflied the chicken the skin separated from the meat.  I just used the toothpicks to keep it attached.

Pan Roasted Chicken

adapted from Joanne Weir and The steamy kitchen

Ingredients

1- 3.5 pound chicken, butterflied with backbone removed

2 tablespoons canola oil

kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.  Rinse and completely pat dry your chicken.  On your stove top, heat a large oven safe frying pan on high heat.  Add oil and when it becomes very hot- gently place the bird skin side down in the pan.  

Season the top of the bird with salt and pepper.  Immediately place the entire pan in oven for 10 minutes.

Carefully remove hot pan from the oven, flip the bird over.  Generously season the skin side with salt and pepper.  Return pan to oven and roast another 25-30 minute.  Remove from oven, place chicken on a plate and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.