Cast Iron Roast Chicken With Caramelized Leeks Food

CAST-IRON ROAST CHICKEN WITH CARAMELIZED LEEKS

Steps:

• Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season generously with salt, inside and out. (We use 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1/2 tsp. Morton kosher salt per lb.) Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Let sit 1 hour to allow salt to penetrate, or chill, uncovered, up to 1 day ahead.
• Place a rack in upper third of oven and set a 12" cast-iron skillet or 3-qt. enameled cast-iron baking dish on rack. Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Meanwhile, toss leeks and 2 Tbsp. oil in a medium bowl to coat; season with salt and pepper.
• Once oven reaches temperature, pat chicken dry with paper towels and lightly coat with half of the remaining oil; sprinkle with dry rub, if using. Drizzle remaining oil into hot skillet (this helps keep the chicken from sticking and tearing the skin). Place chicken in the center of skillet and arrange leeks around. Roast until leeks are browned at edges and tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breasts registers 155°F, 50-60 minutes (temperature will climb to 165°F as chicken rests). Let chicken rest in skillet at least 20 minutes and up to 45 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a cutting board and carve. Serve with leeks.

PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH LEEKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the bacon in a large heavy-bottomed ovenproof skillet and cook over medium-high heat until some of the fat renders, about 5 minutes. Push the bacon to the side of the pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then add it to the pan and cook, turning, until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and leeks, then arrange the chicken on top of the bacon-leek mixture. Transfer to the oven and roast until the chicken is golden and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 160 degrees F, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter.
• Carefully return the skillet to the stovetop over medium-high heat. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the broth and half-and-half and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Bring to a boil and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice. Spoon the leek mixture over the chicken. Serve with the remaining lemon wedges.
• Per serving: Calories 418; Fat 24 g (Saturated 8 g); Cholesterol 147 mg; Sodium 322 mg; Carbohydrate 14 g; Fiber 1 g; Protein 34 g

SPLAYED ROAST CHICKEN WITH CARAMELIZED RAMPS

Steps:

• Rub the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. If you have time, do this 2 to 3 hours ahead and refrigerate the bird uncovered. Otherwise, let it rest uncovered at room temperature while oven heats.
• Place a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet in the oven and heat to 500 degrees for 45 minutes. If you salted the chicken in advance, take it out of the fridge so it can warm to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, prep the ramps: trim the hairy bottoms and remove the outer layer of skin. Separate the leaves from the bulbs, rinse both gently, and pat dry. Cut any fat bulbs (wider than a pencil) in half lengthwise. Tear the leaves into large pieces.
• Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut the skin connecting the legs to the body. Splay the thighs open until you feel the joint pop on each side. Place 2 lemon wedges inside the chicken.
• Carefully transfer chicken, breast-side up, to the hot skillet. Press down on the legs so they rest flat on the bottom of the pan. Drizzle the bird with the oil. Roast for 30 minutes. Toss ramp bulbs (not leaves), garlic and capers into the skillet. Stir to coat them with pan juices. Roast for 5 minutes more, then stir again. Continue cooking until ramps are tender and chicken is no longer pink, 5 to 15 minutes more (for a total cooking time of 40 to 50 minutes).
• Remove chicken from oven and stir ramp leaves into the pan until just wilted. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes, then serve with the pan juices and ramps, garlic and capers, seasoning everything with juice from the remaining lemon wedges, if desired.

SKILLET ROAST CHICKEN WITH CARAMELIZED SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Pat the chicken dry and season it on all sides with salt and pepper.
• In a large (12-inch) oven-proof skillet, working in batches as needed to avoid crowding, add the oil, then add the chicken pieces, skin-side down. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook, undisturbed, until the skin is crisp and releases easily from the skillet, and the fat is rendered, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with additional chicken pieces as needed.
• Add the shallots to the skillet, season with salt and pepper and arrange so most are cut-side down. Cook, undisturbed, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the shallots and repeat until browned on the other side, another 5 minutes.
• Add the vinegar and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits. Add the chicken, skin-side up, on top of the shallots. Roast until the shallots have collapsed and the chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes. Check the chicken halfway through. If the skillet looks dry, add a few tablespoons of water. Serve the chicken and shallots with the pan juices.

SKILLET CHICKEN WITH LEEKS AND CARROTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Pat chicken dry; season generously with salt and pepper. Heat a large, heavy ovenproof skillet (such as cast iron) over medium-high. Add butter and 1 tablespoon oil. When butter melts and foam subsides, add chicken, skin-sides down. Cook, undisturbed, until skin lifts easily from skillet and forms a golden-brown crust, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate, skin-sides up.
• Add leeks, carrots, bread cubes, garlic, lemon zest, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil to skillet, stirring to evenly coat; season with salt and pepper. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to skillet, arranging breasts on top of vegetables in a single layer, skin-sides up.
• Roast until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of breasts reads 160°F, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and loosely cover to keep warm. Stir mint into skillet; return to oven. Roast until vegetables are tender and golden and bread turns crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice into vegetable mixture and sprinkle with more mint leaves. Drizzle remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice over rested chicken. Carve chicken; serve with vegetable mixture.

ROASTED GARLIC CHICKEN WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the top off the head of garlic, place on a piece of foil, sprinkle with salt, and drizzle olive oil over top. Roast about 30 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic into a small bowl and mash with a spoon into a paste.
• Melt the butter in a pan and saute the onions over medium heat for about 45 minutes. You want the onions to caramelize in their own sugars and take on a nice golden brown color. This may take up to an hour, depending on how dialed your heat is. If they turn black, it was too hot!
• Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and thyme on both sides. Saute in olive oil over medium-high heat for about 2-3 minutes per side. You only want a nice golden crust here.
• Spread the roasted garlic paste over top of the chicken breasts and finish them in the 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until the juices run clear. Let the chicken rest on your cutting board for 5 minutes while you prepare the sauce from the pan drippings.
• Drain the excess olive oil from the pan and place over high heat. Deglaze with chicken broth and the optional wine, scraping the browned bits off the pan with a wooden spoon. You want to boil this rapidly and reduce it down to about a third of what it was (or until it's a nice sauce consistency). Taste and correct the seasoning with salt and pepper.
• To plate, slice the breasts diagonally, lay the slices one atop the next, drizzle with the sauce, and top with the carmelized onions.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°; bring garlic and milk to boil; drain and discard milk; in a small metal baking pan toss garlic with 1 T oil; roast 13 minutes or until golden; cool a bit and put the garlic and it's cooking oil in a food processor; process to a paste; sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Saute the onions in the butter and 1 T oil over medium-low heat; cook until golden, about 40 minutes; add vinegar, thyme and bay leaf and simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes; stir in cream and salt and pepper; set aside.
• While the onions are sauteing, preheat the oven to 450°; heat the remaining 1 T of oil in a large skillet; salt and pepper the chicken; place skin side down in skillet and cook until golden brown on one side only, about 4 minutes.
• Place chicken, skin side up, on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until internal temperature is 180°; spread garlic paste atop chicken pieces and bake another 5 minutes, until golden brown.
• Rewarm onions over medium-low heat; to serve plate onions and place 2 pieces of chicken atop them; garnish with parsley.