In The Kitchen

Roast chicken with parsnip purée and spinach-pear salad

This will become the only way you ever roast chicken again

Aleks Till
Updated: January 1, 2024 - 2:00 pm
Trussed roasted chicken / Photo provided by Aleks Till

Once you get the hang of trussing a chicken, this will be the only way you ever roast a chicken again. If you make this chicken with different side dishes, make sure the sides don’t need to share the oven or the skin won’t get nice and crispy.

Chicken

  • One 3-4 pound whole chicken
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Celery Root Purée

  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pound parsnips, peeled, cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 3/4 pound russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch cubes
  • 1 shallot, peeled, quartered
  • 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
  • Ground white pepper, if you have it, or black
  • Scallions, minced
  • Milk or cream, optional

Spinach-Pear Salad

  • 4 cups baby spinach
  • 1 pear, unpeeled, sliced
  • ¼ cup nuts, toasted and chopped
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries
  • ¼ cup blue cheese, crumbled

Dijon Vinaigrette

  • 3 T olive oil
  • 1 T cider vinegar
  • 1 t Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 t honey
  • Salt and pepper
Directions on how to truss a chicken / Provided by Till

Directions

  1. Preheat. Set a rack in the middle and turn the oven on to 450° F.
  2. Prepare the chicken. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.Season, then truss the chicken (see diagram). Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it’s a good technique to feel comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.Now, salt the chicken—rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it’s cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season with pepper.Place the chicken in an uncovered sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. Leave it alone—don’t baste it, don’t add butter. Roast it until it’s done, minutes. Remove it from the oven and baste the chicken with the juices and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.
  3. Prep parsnip purée ingredients.
    >  Parsnips > Peel the parsnips, then chop into chunks. Discard stem.
    >  Potatoes > Peel the potatoes. Slice lengthwise. Divide into two stacks,  slice lengthwise again, then crosswise into dice.
    >  Shallot > Cut shallot in half and trim the top off; remove skin. Make lengthwise slits, keeping the root intact, then cut crosswise into small dice.
    > Scallions > Mince finely.
  4. Make parsnip purée. While the chicken is roasting, combine salt, parsnips, potato and shallot in a small saucepan, with just enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer (turn heat up a little, if needed) until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer the vegetables and butter to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth, adding milk or cream (optional), to taste. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  5. Prep salad ingredients.
    >  Pear > Wash the pear and quarter lengthwise. Remove the core and slice the pear.
    >  Nuts > Heat small frying pan over medium high heat. When pan is hot, add nuts. Toss them frequently, ensuring they toast evenly. Remove from heat when fragrant and lightly browned, about five minutes. Chop roughly.
  6. Mix spinach-pear salad. Toss the spinach and pears in the Dijon Vinaigrette. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with nuts, dried cranberries and blue cheese.
  7. Serve. Carve the chicken and place on serving platter, transfer the parsnip purée to a serving bowl and top with minced scallions. Serve with salad.

Total cook time: 1 hour.

Nutrition per serving:         

  • 586 calories
  • 26 g fat
  • 55 g carbs
  • 40g protein
  • 11 g fiber

Notes

  • Be prepared for a messy oven. Using a high-sided roasting pan or placing your bird on a drip rack may help prevent spattering.
  • Keep a careful eye when heating milk on the stove. It can go from boring to boiling over within seconds.
  • If prepping the salad in advance, toss the sliced pear in the vinaigrette so it doesn’t brown. Mix with spinach just before serving.

Aleks Till is the owner of Homegrown Foods. Homegrown Foods is a local, woman-owned business serving the Twin Cities area for over 10 years. We specialize in delivering meal kits using organic ingredients, grown by local farmers.