I may be biased, but I think our pasture-raised Bresse chicken is the best dang chicken I’ve ever eaten! Our favorite way to prepare it is to bake it in hot cast iron, with the legs splayed and against the pan – this helps the breast and the thigh cook at the same rate, and splaying the legs is waaaay easier than a full spatchcocking (which involves also removing the backbone). This is also a great recipe for our pasture-raised Freedom Ranger broiler chicken. By adding vegetables to the pan (and you can use any combination you have on hand -- just account for variable cooking time by consulting a guide), you can get a whole meal – and the veggies baste in the delicious chicken drippings. Adjust the timing of both chicken and vegetables as necessary – rely on your thermometer, not just cooking time, for perfectly roasted chicken! Plan on about 10 minutes per pound.
Serves: Three to four adults (depends on the size of the chicken and the skillet), more with additional sides
Supplies: A large cast iron skillet (the largest you have -- if your cast iron isn't that big, then just upgrade to another material, it's worth it so you don't crowd the chicken) and a meat thermometer
Prep Time: 45 minutes – Cook Time: 45 minutes – Total Time: 1.5 hours
What You Need
1 3-4 lb Flight Path Farm Whole Young (i.e., <5 months old) Chicken
Sea salt or kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Spice rub or mix of your choice (optional)
2-4 fist-sized potatoes, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 large carrots, cut into 1-inch long pieces
1 leek, cleaned and cut into 1-inch long rounds
2-3 T lard, reserved bacon fat, or other oil with a high smoke point
How To Make It
Place the chicken breast side up on a cutting board; with a sharp knife, cut the skin connecting the leg to the body. Pull the the thighs open away from the body and then press down on each thigh until you feel the joint pop on each side, so that the legs flop out to either side in a most unseemly manner -- you should find that the thighs just plop out to either side now. Season generously inside and out. Let the chicken rest for at least 30 minutes before you start baking. (You can salt the bird the several hours ahead of time or or even the night before, as it will only improve the flavor, just make sure to pull it from the fridge at least 30 minutes before you start baking).
Place the cast iron pan in the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F. Let pan preheat for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare your vegetables. Scrub the potatoes and carrots, peel (optional -- we like it rustic and leave the peels on) and cut up into large chunks. To clean the leeks, first cut off the fibrous dark green portion at the top. Starting about 1 inch above the roots at the bottom, slice the leek in half vertically to expose inner layers; then rinse any dirt out under cold running water, pat dry, and cut into rounds. Place the potatoes in a bowl (preferably oven safe, see note below) and lightly drizzle with oil or melted lard, season with salt and pepper, and toss with tongs to coat.
When the pan is ready, carefully remove it from the oven and swirl lard around to melt. Rub and additional herbs or spice rub on the chicken, if desired (sometimes will sprinkle some Old Bay seasoning over the chicken). Transfer the chicken, breast-side up, to the hot skillet -- you should hear the skin sizzle in the pan; drizzle some melted lard or oil over the breast and rub it over the skin to distribute evenly. Nestle the potatoes around the chicken and roast for 10 minutes. Add carrots to the bowl where you had the potatoes, drizzle with oil, season, and toss to coat. Remove pan from oven, add carrots around the chicken and potatoes; return to oven and roast 10 more minutes. Toss leek with a bit of oil and seasoning in the bowl. Remove pan again, add the leeks; return to oven and roast for 20-25 minutes.
Once the vegetables are soft, the chicken skin is golden, and the thigh reaches a temperature of 165°F (use a thermometer!), remove the pan from the oven and place chicken on a plate or clean cutting board to rest for 10 minutes, then carve and serve with the vegetables and some crusty bread. Pour pan drippings over the chicken and veggies.
Optional pan gravy: if you have a lot of fond (browned savory bits stuck to the pan) and yummy drippings, you can put the chicken on a platter to rest, put the veggies in the oil tossing bowl to warm in the oven, and then pour out any juice and drippings to a little bowl. Put the pan on a hot burner on a stove, then deglaze with white wine, sherry, or whatever booze you have on hand. Bring to a simmer, return juices, and make a slurry of cornstarch (or Wondra gravy flour) and water -- add a little slurry at a time to your simmering gravy until you get a thickened texture you like.
NOTE: Ovens, chickens, and veggies all vary, and sometimes the timing doesn't quite line up. If the veggies are not quite done, return the pan to the oven to bake while the chicken rests on the cutting board; if the veggies are done and the chicken isn't, just pick them out and put them in the bowl you used to toss them with oil, then return bird to oven. I always use an oven-safe pyrex mixing bowl for tossing my raw veggies with oil, in case the timing doesn't sync perfectly -- that way, if I need to pick the veggies out early, once the chicken is done baking I can place the bowl of veggies in the oven after I turn it off, so the residual heat can get them warm for serving.