Roasted Chicken With Sautéed Asparagus And Potato Turnip Puree Topped With Crispy Potato Skin

With a fridge full of humongous bags of red potatoes, turnips, and blueberries from local farms, I was determined to figure out a way to use them all. This dinner was the answer to two of those surpluses. In the spirit of an artful plate and celebrating all aspects of a vegetable, the potato skins ended up being fried and added on top of the potato turnip puree. A couple sprigs of sage and a bachelor's button flower reside next to the roast chicken resembling how the chicken is adorned in the roasting pan. A bunch of asparagus lays underneath it all, tying each element together, making it look like the perfect picture of spring.

Recipe

Ingredients

Roasted Chicken

A free range organic chicken

Olive oil

Lemon quartered

Salt

Pepper

Fresh sage

Butter Mixture

1 stick room temperature grass fed unsalted butter

3 minced garlic cloves

1 tbs finely chopped sage

1 -2 tbsp parsley, depending on whether it's fresh or dried

1 -2 tsp rosemary, depending on whether it's fresh or dried

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Inside and Under Chicken

1 cup chicken broth

1 large onion, sectioned into small pieces

3 cloves garlic, halved

6 carrots bias cut (or root vegetable of choice)

Lemon quartered

Potato Turnip Puree

Puree

A few pounds of potatoes and turnips (it's really one of those intuitive recipes)

1/2 cup olive oil

1 garlic cloves pressed or minced

Juice and zest of one lemon

1/2 tsp salt

Crispy Potato Skins

Cup of potato skins (make sure to wash and the potatoes well)

Vegetable oil for frying

Salt to taste

Garlic powder

Sautéed Lemony Asparagus

Bundle of asparagus that has been cut and trimmed

Four cloves garlic, 2 sliced, 2 minced

Olive oil

Red pepper flakes

Juice and zest of a lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Roasted Chicken 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

2. Prepare the butter mixture by combining everything in a bowl and mixing thoroughly.

3. Add the broth, carrots, half the onion, and garlic to the pan.

4. Make sure the chicken has been patted dry before rubbing the whole thing in the butter mixture. If you can get the skin to open up, try to get butter under the skin as well. Add any remaining butter to the inside of the chicken. Stuff the chicken with the rest of the onion, sage, and lemon wedges after the juice is squeezed out on top of the chicken. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the chicken. Tie the legs together using heat safe twine string. Add remaining sage to each side of the chicken.

5. Roast the chicken for ten minutes uncovered. Lower the heat to 350 F and roast for 30 minutes before basting with juices. Roast for another 30 minutes, baste and within the next fifteen minutes the chicken should be done. You'll know it's done when a thermometer or probe reads 165 F or if the juices run clear when you pierce the chicken where the drumstick and the body meet. Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Potato Turnip Puree

Puree

1. Boil the potatoes and turnips until they are soft and easily punctured, about 15-20 minutes. If the turnips are smaller, those might need to be removed earlier.

2. Add the vegetables to a stand mixer on low speed, increasing as they break apart more. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat on high until the mixture is smooth with few bumps. I know it seems like a very simple list of ingredients, but if you use farm fresh potatoes and good quality olive oil it will be very flavorful.

Crispy Potato Skin

1. Heat vegetable oil in a pot on medium heat. Test the oil with a potato skin. If the the potato skin is covered in small rapidly bursting and rising bubbles, it's hot enough.

2. You can add the potato skins and fry for about 15 seconds. Remove from the heat and place on paper towels to drain excess oil. Season the hot potato skins with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Sautéed Asparagus

1. Once again, fill a pot with water and allow it to come to a boil.

2. Meanwhile sauté the garlic and red pepper with olive oil in a pan on medium high heat. Boil asparagus for 1 minute , strain and add immediately to the pan with the garlic. Move the asparagus around the pan until it browns just slightly. Finish with lemon, salt, and pepper.