1.09.2012

Upside Down Chicken...


As you may recall, part of my New Years Resolution was to post weekly recipes for my grown kids, so they can have some of Mom's recipes to tuck into their cookbook cupboard.  We are two weeks into the New Year and this is recipe number 2...woo hoo, I haven't broken this resolution as of yet!!
  
Today's recipe is an old family favorite.  We enjoyed this over the weekend at our house...
don't think I made this in the year 2011, not sure how I could forget about this one...it is fabulous! The kids, when they were younger, would request this dish...they called it " that upside down chicken."
It's real name is Amish Roast Chicken and Potatoes with Garlic.  The recipe comes from an older cookbook of mine, titled NEW RECIPES FROM QUILT COUNTRY by Marcia Adams.  This is a lovely cookbook with wonderful photos and stories of Amish country.
So let's get started...
Peel red potatoes, carrots and onions and cut up into chunks.  Use whatever amount will feed your family...and maybe even a little extra for leftovers!  This dish is just as good heated up the next day.
Peel 6 or 7 large garlic cloves.
Chop some fresh thyme, the more the merrier...
Rinse and clean a chicken well and pat dry with a paper towel.  Place the chicken, breast side up, in a shallow 15" x 12" greased pan.  I like to use my well seasoned terra cotta clay pan for this.  Separate the skin from the breast meat with your fingers and insert a liberal amount of thyme between the two.  Place a handful of un-chopped thyme into the cavity of the chicken.  Place onions, carrots, garlic and potatoes around the chicken.
 Add 1 heaping teaspoon of chicken bouillon granules to 1 cup hot water.
Melt one stick of butter.  Mix butter into bouillon/water mixture.
 Pour chicken stock/butter mixture over the chicken and vegetables.
Cut a lemon in half.
Squeeze lemon over the chicken.
Tuck spent lemon halves along with the thyme into the cavity of the chicken.
Season chicken breast with chopped thyme and freshly ground salt and pepper.
Place in a preheated 425 degrees oven.  Bake the chicken for 1 1/2 hours.  The chicken should now have formed a lovely brown and crispy skin and the aroma in your house is amazing....
 Now take the chicken and flip upside down.  Yep, this is where my kids got the upside down chicken from!! 
It is at this time that you now turn the oven down to 325 degrees.  The high temp of the oven to begin with seals in the juices of the chicken.  When the chicken gets turned upside down, the fat from the dark meat will now run down into the normally drier white meat, making for very moist white meat....delicious!
Bake upside down for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until leg easily breaks away from the body.
Remove the veggies and chicken from the pan.  Place veggies back into the oven while you prepare a gravy.
 Let the chicken rest at room temp for 10 - 15 minutes before carving.
Separate the fat from the drippings from the bottom of the pan, saving the drippings
Measure drippings and add enough water to make 2 cups of liquid.  Place in a small stove top kettle.
Add two packets of chicken gravy mix, stirring to mix.
Bring to a boil, stirring until thick.  The lemon, garlic and herbs in the drippings make a delicious gravy...yummers.
Our favorite side dish with this meal is fresh green beans.
And remember those garlic cloves we tucked into the dish?  You get to fight over those...they are wonderful spread on warm-from-the-oven French Baguette bread.


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Enjoy,
Brenda

14 comments:

Penny said...

Mmmmmmmm - this recipe sounds yummy! I have copied it and will try it out one day soon.... thanks for sharing!!

Poussy Stitches My Love said...

Mummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

beautifuls pictures


marylin france

Angela said...

Sounds like this one is worth the wait. Bet the aroma will make one so hungrey as it bakes in the oven. Thanks for sharing.
Angela

Penny said...

This sounds delicious!!!! I will be making this dish this week. Thank you for not breaking your resolution, I have been looking forward to the recipe post.

Anonymous said...

That looks and sounds delicious. I will have to do this for diner on Thursday this week when I have the night off work. There is a chicken in the freezer just waiting. Thanks.

oldecrow said...

I am so surprised to see that someone else has that cookbook too! I love it! There are so many wonderful dishes in that book. Marcia Adams used to have a cooking show on PBS and I never missed it. Your Chicken recipe is one I have never tried, but I certainly will now! Thanks for sharing!
Wanda
Olde Crow mercantile

Anonymous said...

lOOKS AMAZING! That will be my Sunday dinner this week, thank you so much!

Mouse said...

ohhh sounds sooo yummy but I can't have garlic :((((((((((((((((( it makes me ill *sigh love mouse xxxx

gracie said...

I can smell the wonderful aroma from here!

Krista said...

yum, looks so delicious!

maryrose said...

I, too, am a Marcia Adams fan. Her "Pat In The Pan Pie Crust" is my fail safe...it's foolproof and wonderful every time. Can't wait to try this chicken. It looks yummy!

Becky G said...

Oh this does sound wonderful! I just wanted to confirm that the chicken is cooked for a total of 3-3.5 hours? I usually bake for half that with those oven temps. Some friends & I are planning a retreat soon; this is one of the dishes I will make.
I have a Marcia Adams' book entitled "Christmas in the Heartlands" from which I make spiced honey for gifts each year. Thanks for sharing this post! B

Anonymous said...

Yummy ~ what time do we eat?
Going to give this a try tomorrow for Sunday dinner. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Yummy ~ what time do we eat?
Going to give this a try tomorrow for Sunday dinner. Thanks for sharing.