Sunday Farmhouse Chicken
- 2 chickens, 3 1/2 pounds each
- 3 tablespoons goose, duck fat or even bacon drippings
- 1 head of garlic, halved
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 small onion halved
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 1 handful Italian parsley
- 1 tablespoon fennel seed, crushed in a mortar and pestal
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Kosher salt
- The night before you want to cook the chickens rinse out the cavities with cold water and drain. Place the chickens on a sheet pan and place, uncovered, in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Season the cavities of each bird with some fennel seed, black pepper and kosher salt. Place the birds in a roasting pan large enough to hold them comfortably. Next place half a head of garlic, half a lemon, half an onion, half the thyme and parsley into the cavity of each bird. Now rub the exterior each bird top to bottom with the goose fat. Wash and dry your hands. Season the birds evenly and on all sides with the remainder of the fennel, black pepper and salt. Tuck the wings under the bird and truss the legs with kitchen twine, Place the chickens in the oven and roast for 40 minutes and then rotate the pan 180 degrees and roast for another 35 minutes. Check them for doneness. Cook them longer if needed. Remove the chickens from the oven and at this point if you wanted you could make a pan au jus from the drippings or let them rest for 10 minutes then carve and serve.
chickens, goose, garlic, lemon, onion, thyme, handful italian parsley, fennel, ground black pepper, kosher salt
Taken from food52.com/recipes/3343-sunday-farmhouse-chicken (may not work)