About a year or so ago, I had some friends over for a dinner party and decided to make a roast chicken. Sure, the whole thing sounded simple: Overnight brining in salt water, a day of drying and dusting with herbs, a few hours in the oven and a couple of minutes to rest. Easy, right?
In actuality it was exhausting! I was so pooped from the chicken prep that I could barely keep my eyes open through dessert. The chicken was really good, but the whole almost-24-hour process made it totally untenable for a Sunday dinner, let alone a weekday night.
And then I found this slow cooker chicken over at Weelicious. I tried the recipe, and loved the super-moist texture of the chicken, but wasn't crazy about the zingy lemon flavour or the slightly anemic looking bird. So I came up with my own variation and haven't looked back. Two and a half hours in the old crock pot followed by a ten minute broil gives me perfect chicken every time, without having to brine, baste or worry.
You need:
- 1/2 cup of red wine
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/2 small white onion
- 1 celery stalk, cut in half
- 1 carrot, cut in half
- sprinkle of herbs de provence, thyme, or herb combination of your choice
- tin foil
The aluminum foil raises the chicken from the liquid so it doesn't get mushy.
- Crumple three pieces of aluminum foil and place in the middle of your slow cooker.
- Add wine, garlic, onion, celery and carrot
- Place chicken on top of aluminum foil. (You may have to push the chicken down a bit so it will fit.)
- Sprinkle chicken with herbs, salt and pepper.
- Set slow cooker to high and cook for 1/2 hour per pound.
- When ready, stick a meat thermometer into leg to ensure it is done. Transfer chicken to a roasting pan and set oven to 500º Fahrenheit.
- Broil for 8-10 minutes, or until skin is golden brown.
- Serve with roast root vegetables, mashed potatoes, or anything else you'd like!
The slow cooked chicken. You can eat it now, but a bout in the oven makes the skin golden brown and crispy.
The best part of this recipe? After your done cooking everything, you'll have a considerable amount of jus left over from the chicken. Whisk it with some cornstarch for some delicious gravy, or save it in your fridge or freezer for soup stock later. It's the gift that keeps on giving.
Thought that was sweet? You'll enjoy: