Roasted Chicken in a Staub Roaster!

CASE: I got Ann a Staub roaster for Christmas (well, technically it was from me and Brandon to Ann and Thomas, but we all know that it's the girls that did all the work), and we were both jones-ing to try it. I really didn't want to give it to her. As soon as I saw it, I thought--I want this thing. But it was the last one, it was so French and so beautiful that I knew I had to give it to Ann.

If you don't know what a roster is, Thomas calls it "speculum cooking." It's like a dish with a poke up the middle that the chicken sits on. All the grease falls to the dish below. Which is why you put potatoes, carrots and mushrooms in the dish so that it cooks in that chicken fat.

Anyway, we tried it out last night and we had uneven results. First of all, I bought an Empire kosher chicken which was waaaaay bigger than the chicken that the French eat, I think. It was too big! We thought it would stand up on the roaster, or at least sit on it, but it fell right down to the bottom. We propped him up best we could with the vegetables but he was just too darn fat. Anyway, we put the guy in oven, but the result was a bit dry in the breast, which was at the top of the roaster. Ann has an old-fashioned Merrit and Keefe stove, so maybe part of the problem is that it a small space, so the top got inordinately hot. I don't know...We decided we would turn the chicken the other way mid-way. I think another solution might to just tent the breast.

On the plus side, the skin was amazing! Crackling and delicious. Ann buttered up the chicken 10 minutes before "go" time, which made it oh-so-buttery and crispy. Really good. The vegetables also turned out fabulous. Ann used fresh shittake mushrooms, and cut the carrots rather long, which made for a great presentation.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH POTATOES, MUSHROOMS AND CARROTS
1 Staub verticle cast iron roaster
1 chicken
1 1/2 cups shittake mushrooms
1 potato
2 carrots, chopped into 2-3" sections
butter
salt

Heat oven to 450. Generously salt the inside of the chicken and outside. Force melted butter between the skin and the chicken. Place vegetables in the dish. Cook chicken for 20-30 minutes then bring temperature down to 350. Continue cooking until done. Intermittently baste the vegetables in the dripping fat to keep them moist. Also baste the chicken. If you wish, 10 minutes before finished, butter up the chicken, by taking the stick of butter and rubbing it all over the chicken.

VERDICT: GUILTY! Of being delicious! Honestly, there is something to be said for these old-time cooking utensils. I really think the whole process of cooking made it taste better. That is, the neatness (one-pot!) and comforting (roast chicken is the ultimate comfort) nature of what this roaster is meant to cook. It's such a luxury cooking piece, made for one thing and one thing only. I loved it!

NOTE: I think Ann was less impressed with the results, but I don't think either of us walked away believing we couldn't master this. I mean, that's the thing right? Do it a few more times, and then you will have your recipe down p-a-t. Then, Ann will be able to make this with her eyes closed and not even have to think of it during the hour that it cooks. I know, I know. The rotisserie chickens at the gorcery store are cheap and also delicious, right? Why bother with this? Well, lots of reasons: 1. If you have children, then b/c then you know EXACTLY what you're feeding your kids, and you can feed them hormone-free free-range hippie chickens. 2. You get to have the oogey googie buttery vegetables on the bottom that are totally better than the chicken anyway. 3. Nobody ever gets tired of roast chicken. Ever. 4. Once the cooking method is perfect, this is such a great presentation! You could serve this to hubby, girlfriends or even a small dinner party. And when everyone knows YOU roasted it in your Staub roaster, they will be jealous. 5. IT TASTES BETTER THAN THE STORE BOUGHT CHICKENS.