Mar 11 2010

Chicken, Croutons, and Wilted Greens

Published by at 12:00 pm under bread,Salad

Chicken Croutons & Wilted Greens

I’ve never been a big fan of arugula, but the thought of having it with chicken-flavored croutons and roast chicken was enough to convince me to try out this recipe.

I was not disappointed. This recipe is worth it just for the croutons. Seriously. I love roasted chicken, but I was tempted to subsist solely on croutons the day I made this meal. Yes, they really are that good. I managed to abstain from eating an entire loaf of bread for a meal, however, and I rounded things out with the salad greens and chicken.

I’m already planning on making this meal again soon . . . next weekend, maybe?

Recipe adapted from EveryDay Food, March 2010 issue

1 whole chicken (4 lbs)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
kosher salt
black pepper
1 lemon, halved
1 loaf sourdough (8 ounces), torn into chunks
12 ounces arugula
1 teaspoons red wine vinegar

24-48 hours before the meal, salt and pepper the chicken inside and out. Wrap well in plastic wrap and place in a glass dish with raised sides. Refrigerate.

One hour before you plan to start cooking, remove the chicken from the fridge to bring it closer to room temperature. Preheat oven to 450. Place chicken on wire roasting rack and rub with 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with thyme, and squeeze lemon juice into cavity; place lemon halves into cavity. Roast chicken breast-side down until juices run clear, about 45-50 minutes. Transfer to a platter.

Place bread in roasting pan, toss with pan juices to coat. Season with salt. Bake until croutons are golden, 7-10 minutes. Pour any accumulated juices from the platter to a bowl; add arugula, croutons, 1 tablespoon oil, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, and toss. Carve chicken and serve with arugula and croutons.

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