roasted chicken

A few years ago when I lived with 2 roommates, I learned that I could not live with 2 roommates. So it goes…

We all have our idiosyncrasies but one of my roommates was off on another planet. Like she insisted on having the biggest room although she froze in it because it had very large widows and a nonworking fireplace (all of which let in a lot of cold air). Also, she would cook her food, eat it out of the pot, and leave said pot on the top of the sofa. Great when my other roommates puppy would discover it. Super great. She was in a residency program so maybe she was just off from being sleep deprived from her long shifts and weekends on-call. So while she drove me crazy but, at least she did teach me about making fantastic baked chicken. So a big thank you to her for that.

 

She used to bake chicken breasts and drumsticks all the time. They were quick and easy for her to whip up and keep on hand for when she had to work late nights or be on call. But there as something that should would do that I had never heard of before… she would slather the chicken with mayonnaise. What?!?

Years later, while I was feeling in a bit of a chicken rut, I thought of what she used to do. Well, it turns out she wasn’t crazy after all since I googled it and it’s a thing. A pretty common thing actutally… where have I been living all these years? Under a rock!?!?

It makes the chicken super moist and flavorful, while giving the exterior a bit of a naughty crunch too.

 

The great thing about this recipe is that is paleo and Whole30 compliant, assuming you use complaint mayo, of course! Finding something that fits the Whole30 requirements and is downright delicious just makes me want to jump for joy!

The one thing to note that as it cooks the oil in the mayo will separate from the egg base, and will drip down into the pan. The veggies there can be a bit oily, so if you want to avoid that just put down a wire rack that you use for baking first before you put down the veggies. But I would give them a bit of a drizzle with oil so they stay moist and don’t stick to the rack.

I swear I am a changed roast chicken woman. This makes it so freaking juicy. It is the perfect chicken to make this FREEZING weekend. Stay warm and cozy my friends!

Mayo Crusted Roasted Chicken

Makes 1 whole chicken

Ingredients

• 5-6 pound whole chicken
• 1/2 pound carrots, peeled, cut into 2″ long pieces
• 1/2 pound celery, peeled, cut into 2″ long pieces
• 2 large onions, sliced into 1/2″ wedges
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3-4 bay leaves
• approximately 1/3 Cup mayonnaise
• salt and pepper

Process

1. Preaheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Remove the giblets from the chicken. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry.
3. Place the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and bay leaves in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on top.
4. Liberally rub mayonnaise on the whole chicken. Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tuck the wing tips under the chicken to prevent burning.
5. Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter. Cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes prior to slicing and serving. lice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.