Chicken Halves Roasted over Squash
Instructions:
- Here, whole chicken halves are roasted on a bed of cubed squash. If you don’t have a cleaver heavy enough to split a whole bird, ask the butcher to do it for you. Makes 4 to 6 servings
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
- 1 large acorn squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into very small
- 1â„2-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon stemmed thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1â„2 teaspoon salt
- 1â„2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- One 4- to 5-pound chicken, giblets and neck removed, then split in half from tip to tail
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Use the two halves of the chicken to form a teepee skin side up over the vegetables. Make sure no vegetable is uncovered.
- Whisk the mustard and maple syrup in a small bowl. Brush over the skin.
- Bake until golden until a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 165°F (our preference) or 180°F (the USDA recommendation), between 1 hour and 1 hour 20 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken halves to a cutting board; let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before carving and serving with the vegetables.