Most roasted chicken recipes espouse allowing as much hot air to circulate around the bird as possible, which promotes a deeply browned bird with crackling-crisp skin. While the result might be a feast for the eyes, it’s usually not that fun to eat, as all of that hot air has dried out the meat inside.
A Dutch oven, however, can alleviate this problem and still deliver a photo-worthy roast chicken. Our method calls for setting the bird atop a layer of vegetables and starting the chicken breast-side down, which steams the meat and helps it stay juicy. As the chicken roasts, it bastes the vegetables below with its fat and juices, which gives you some of the best roasted vegetables you’ll ever taste.
Field Notes:
