Slow-Roasted Chicken
It seems that in the food blogging world (and ok, maybe the world in general) something a little obnoxious starts happening in early February. All of the food starts turning pink. Or red. Or covered in chocolate. Or becomes inexplicably heart-shaped.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not griping, not really. I think whimsical food is fun and cute and I’m all about heart-shaped pizzas. But in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, I’m still looking for inspiration for dinner on a Tuesday, or lunch on a Friday, or even a somewhat-involved dinner on a Sunday. A woman cannot live on individual raspberry chocolate mousse tarts alone, people! And even if I could, I’d still rather have this amazing roast chicken any day of the week. Romantic? Maybe not. 
But on the other hand, maybe this is the perfect thing to make for a romantic meal for two (or, in our case, 3 and a half-ish). Something about roast chicken, with its sinfully crispy skin, enticing aroma, and the way it seems to warm up the whole house while it’s cooking, is kind of perfect for a cozy, romantic meal. It’s simple, so there’s not a lot of time fussing with a million ingredients to prep while you should be spending quality time with your beloved. Being able to cook it low and slow in the oven takes some of the guesswork of, “Is it done?” “Is it tender enough?” “Why is half the skin crispy and the other is soggy?” Because nothing kills the mood like undercooked chicken. And cooking your vegetables alongside the chicken makes for an instant side dish and a lot less dishes at the end of the night. Nothing romantic about a pile of dishes.
But the main reason I want to tell you about this chicken has nothing to do with making it for Valentine’s Day. The whole point is that it’s so. flipping. good. Unbelievably good for how simple it is to whip up. The skin gets perfectly crispy all around the bird, not just on the top, and there are not bits that get too dark. The oven stays at a low temp, so there is no risk of splattering grease all over your oven or yourself. The spice rub is flavorful, but not so crazy that you can’t taste the chicken. It somehow makes the chicken taste more… chickeny? (Yeah, I think I need to take a food writing course, STAT.) The meat is juicy and tender and melts in your mouth. It’s even easier to cut than most of the roast chickens I’ve made in my day. And if you’ve ever spent a solid 15 minutes trying to pry a chicken leg from the thigh, only to manage destroying half a chicken, you know that this is no small victory. Oh! And with all this excitement about the chicken, I almost forgot about the potatoes and carrots. See, they’re not really the point of this chicken, but they’re kind of an amazing bonus. They slowly caramelize and brown on the edges, soaking up the chicken juices and spices from the rub. Which is a very, very good thing. 
Honestly, I don’t care if you make this for Valentine’s Day. You definitely could. It would be great. But you could also make this next week for a casual Sunday dinner and it would be just as delicious and perfect. Either way, share it with someone you love. (Because you don’t want to waste a perfect roast chicken on just anyone, do you?)
Slow-Roasted Chicken
A note: I tried to grind my spices using my small food processor and it didn't do so well. So really, my spices weren't ground much at all. It was still fantastic. If you don't care for those spices, this method would pretty much work with any combination of flavors, so you can come up with your own.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 3½–4 pound chicken
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
- 1 1/2 lobs Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
- 3 large carrots, cut into large chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°.
- Coarsely grind fennel seeds and red pepper flakes in a spice mill or with a mortar and pestle. (Or, if you're feeling particularly lazy, skip it. It'll be ok.) Combine spice mixture, marjoram, 1 Tbsp. salt, ½ tsp. pepper, and 3 Tbsp. oil in a small bowl. Rub chicken inside and out with spice mixture. Stuff chicken with lemon and garlic. Tie legs together with kitchen twine.
- Toss potatoes and carrots with remaining 3 Tbsp. oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Push potatoes to edges of baking sheet and place chicken in the center. Roast until skin is browned, meat is extremely tender, and potatoes are golden brown and very soft, about 3 hours. Let chicken rest at least 10 minutes before carving.