My Idea of a Comfort Dish

• This recipe was inspired by Ina Garten. After making it for several years, I have added to it. Making it even better......
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• 1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large bunch fresh thyme
• 2 lemons, halved
• 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
• 10 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
• 1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
• 4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 bulb of fennel, thickly sliced
• 8 oz whole, cleaned mushrooms, stems removed
• 1 sweet potato, peeled, cut into large chunks
• 1/3 cup white wine
• Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove the "prizes" from inside. Pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme (reserving a few sprigs), 2 halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, 2 lemon halves, carrots, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, garlic cloves, and fennel in a roasting pan. It is very important to not cut the vegetables too small or they will burn. You want them to caramelize, but not burn :) Toss with salt, pepper, a few sprigs of thyme, white wine and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the chicken and place on a cutting board. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes. This is the when you are going to need to be patient. It is going to smell so good and you are going to want to dig in. But wait!!!! I like to serve this family style on a big platter. I usually put a mound of wonderful mashed potatoes in the center, the roasted veggies around the potatoes, then the cut up chicken on top of the veggies. Then I drizzle the chicken and veggies with the juices from the pan. Enjoy :)

*Sometimes I add butternut squash, brussel sprouts, or any kind of root veggie I have*