White Wine and Garlic Herb-Roasted Chicken

Roasted chicken, garlic and the slight wafting of fragrant herbs are only the beginning of this amazing dish. Simple and savory, this rustic one-pot meal is a perfect offering for a gathering of friends, or just feeding the folks at home.

And, yes, this meal is one frequently served to my folks at home. It’s easy to assemble, prepare and throw into the oven in a matter of 20 minutes, give or take the time needed to thaw your chicken if it happens to be frozen.

The key to unlocking the flavor in this dish is three-part.

First, do not remove the skin on the chicken. Whether you are cooking legs, thighs or breasts, or you’ve quartered it yourself, removing the skin will make your chicken less flavorful and very dry.

Secondly, sear the chicken in your crockery prior to adding the wine, water and vegetables. This will crisp the skin and seal in the juices.

Finally, baking on a low temp allows the flavors to comingle, ensuring the best outcome – fall-off-the-bone garlicky goodness.

White Wine & Garlic Herb-Roasted Chicken

Serves 8

• 3 tbs. olive oil
• 2 lbs. dark chicken meat (legs, thighs, hind quarters)
• 1 bottle white wine (chardonnay or pinot gris)
• 8 whole cloves of garlic
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 1 large sweet potato, cut into large chunks
• 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in to large chunks
• ½ lb. fresh brussel sprouts
• 5-6 springs fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tbs. fresh cracked pepper
• 1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
• 3 cups water

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large Dutch oven, sear your chicken on high in the olive oil until the skin is just browned.

Remove from Dutch oven temporarily and add in your potatoes, brussel sprouts and onions.

Place chicken on top of vegetables and toss in the garlic, salt and pepper and rosemary.

Cover with 2/3 of the wine and water as needed.

Finally, add the peppercorns, cover and bake for three hours.

Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.
 

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Twinkle VanWinkle was born in a small town in Mississippi. A life-long lover of music, media and food, she grew up following those three things along her path. She has almost 20 years of professional cooking under her apron strings, feeding thousands of friends, family and other folks while working in restaurants and bakeries in Oxford, Miss. She baked apple pies for the “Oprah Winfrey Show” and appeared on Food Network's “The Best Of...” in the same year. Along with producing dynamic lifestyle content for LIN Media, she is a mother, musician and social media fanatic.

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