Roast Chicken With Spring Vegetables Recipe

Feel Like a Spring Chicken — and Feast on One, Too

April 26, 2012

A whole roast chicken is one the easiest weekend meals to prepare; it's pretty hands-off, requires minimal cleanup, and usually yields plenty of leftovers for the rest of the work week. During the Winter, I keep this recipe pretty simple with potatoes and onions but once Spring has sprung, I love to add carrots, radishes, bell pepper, and even asparagus.
To season the chicken, coat it in a mixture of Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and olive oil. Place the squeezed lemon rinds inside the cavity of the chicken for even more zest. Of course, a whole chicken will take longer to cook than those delicate Spring veggies, so I always start the chicken with baby potatoes and onions. As the chicken roasts, I add the other vegetables depending on their thickness and cook time. Carrots and radishes can take the heat but sliced bell pepper and asparagus should go nearly at the end. Serve your succulent chicken and Spring vegetables with some crusty French bread and white wine for a perfect weekend meal. Feast on your Spring chicken once you get the recipe.

From Lauren Hendrickson, YumSugar

Roast Dijon Chicken With Spring Vegetables

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (between 3-5 pounds, preferably), cleaned and dried
1/2 pound of fingerling potatoes
1 onion, chopped into wedges
2 lemons
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 bunches of radishes, cleaned
3 bunches of carrots, peeled and cleaned

Directions

Use asparagus, bell peppers, or sweet peppers if you want a different variety of vegetables. Add the more delicate vegetables as the chicken is nearly finished to ensure they are not overcooked.

Preheat the oven to 425º F.
In a large oven-safe dish, layer the potatoes and onions in the bottom.
Prepare the Dijon mixture by whisking together the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, lemon pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl. Save the squeezed lemons and place inside the chicken cavity.
Place the chicken on top of the potatoes and onions. Coat the chicken in the Dijon mixture.
Add one half of the chicken stock and white wine to the bottom of the pan. Periodically check the chicken and add more wine and chicken stock, if necessary.
Cook the chicken until about three-quarters done or when the internal temperature reaches about 125º; add the carrots and radishes. Cook until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165° F.
Serve with French bread and white wine.

Serves 6-8.