Crispy Roast Chicken & Vegetables with Kendall Andronico ~ 11/2

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Crispy Roasted Chicken and Fall Vegetables featuring Garlic Olive Oil, Organic Roasting Herbs & French Grey Salt 

The Ingredients

1 whole chicken, 3-4lbs
Kosher salt
1 lemon, quartered
1 head of garlic, cut in half through the equator
1 bunch thyme
1 bunch oregano
1 bunch rosemary
2 large delicata squashes
5 medium shallots or two large yellow onions
Garlic olive oil
French grey sea salt
Roasting Herbs

The Recipe

For the roasted chicken:

1. One day before dinner, place the chicken on a metal rack-lined sheet tray. Pat the chicken dry and remove the giblets from the cavity. Generously season the outside of the chicken and inside of the cavity with kosher salt (~3/4 tsp kosher salt per pound of chicken). It will seem like a lot but the salt will permeate the skin, season the meat and ensure a super juicy chicken.
2. Place the chicken (either uncovered or very loosely covered) in the fridge for 24 hours.
3. Remove the chicken from the fridge and pat dry, then transfer to a roasting pan or large cast iron skillet. Open the cavity of the chicken, sprinkle inside with the roasting herbs and stuff it with the quartered lemon slices, the halved head of garlic and a few sprigs each of thyme, oregano and rosemary. 
4. Use a toothpick or two to seal the cavity shut and generously rub the chicken with Garlic Olive Oil all over.
5. Transfer the chicken to the middle rack of a 450° F oven to cook for 25-30 minutes, or until the skin has begun to turn golden brown. 
6. Turn the oven down to 400° F and cook the chicken for another 40-50 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer registers 165° F when inserted in the thickest part of the thigh.
7. Remove the chicken from the oven, transfer it from its cooking vessel to a cutting board and allow it to rest for ~20 minutes. Set the roasting pan aside (we will toss the vegetables in the chicken renderings).
8. Turn the oven up to 425° F for the vegetables.

For the roasted vegetables:

1. Prep your vegetables (can be done while the chicken cooks). Cut the Delicata squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and slice it into half moons ~1/4 inch thick. Remove the skin from the shallots and cut into ~2-inch wedges. 
2. Toss the sliced Delicata squash and shallots in the crispy bits + renderings from the chicken in the roasting pan. Transfer the vegetables to two large sheet trays and sprinkle with the roasting herbs, grey sea salt and more EVOO, to coat.
3. Roast in the 425° F oven for a total of 20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the vegetables have turned golden brown and crispy.
4. Serve the chicken atop the roasted veggies, garnish with the remaining sprigs of fresh herbs and finish with some grey sea salt. Enjoy!