From Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables
Alice typically doesn't like celery but she LOVES this recipe, so trust us, you can't go wrong with this one!
Chicken
One 3-4lb chicken
1/2 lemon, very thinly sliced
3-4 big sprigs each of thyme and rosemary
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature
Salad
1 cup braised celery*, cooled and cut on an angle into 1/2in thick slices
1/2 medium head radicchio, cut into 1/2in wide ribbons
1 large handful flat-leaf parsley
1/4 red onion (you can sub in the shallot from your box)
1 lemon, halved
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1-2 cups torn croutons (make your own or use store bought)
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
extra virgin olive oil
For The Chicken: Heat the oven to 400
With a pair of kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, cut along each side of the chicken's backbone to cut it out completely. Flip the chicken over breast side up and push down with the heel of your hand on the breastbone to allow the chicken to lie flat, like you're cracking open a hard-back book.
Arrange the lemon slices on a rimmed baking sheet or a roasting pan to cover the area that the chicken will be positioned on. Top with the herbs. Season both sides of the chicken generously with salt and pepper and lay the chicken skin side up on top of the flavorings. Smear the butter on the surface.
Roast the chicken until the flesh on the thickest part of the thigh is very tender when poked with a knife, the juices don't come out pink, and/or the temperature of the thigh registers 170 degrees. This should take 40-50min.
When the chicken is done, transfer it to a platter or tray to cool. Carefully pour the chicken fat from the pan (reserve it for cooking potatoes later). Pluck off the lemon and herbs. Discard the herbs, but if the lemon slices are tasty, you can chop them and add to the salad. Add a few spoonfuls of water to the pan and scrape and stir to dissolve the cooked-on juices.
For The Salad: Put the celery, radicchio, parsley, and onion (and roasted lemon if using) into a big bowl and toss. Pour on the deglazed chicken roasting juices and squeeze the juice from half the lemon and toss again. Taste and season with pepper and salt if needed.
Add the croutons and grated cheese and toss again. Taste again, adjust the seasoning, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
Cut the chicken into pieces and arrange on a platter. Serve the salad on the same platter or on another one. Serve on the warm side of room temperature.
*Braised Celery: Separate the stalks and arrange in a shallow baking dish. Add about 1/4 cup dry white wine, 1/2 cup olive oil, a big pinch of salt, a few smashed garlic cloves, a pinch of dried chile flakes, and some thyme sprigs. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees until the celery is silky and tender.
A note from Alice: If you want to get crazy, reserve the olive oil that the celery braised in and use it to make a delicious aioli!