Chicken Ina & Jeffery's style with a bit of Rosemary, mashed potatoes/turnips with fried shallots, carrots

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Chicken: super easy and moist 

Tonight I made: roasted chicken, Mashed potato and turnip with fried shallots, carrots from chicken 

I am always looking for good chicken recipes from easy to a wonderful challenge but I find myself over and over again coming back to a basic good roast chicken.  I love Ina's recipe for her Friday night chicken she makes for her dear husband Jeffery. The lemons, garlic and rosemary make this chicken lovely.

My changes to the recipe:
1. I use a fryer rather than a roaster as a fryer is usually about 3-1/2 lbs rather than 5  to 6 pounds which means it cooks faster.
2. I use rosemary springs under the skin (I also like thyme instead of the rosemary - I just happened to have rosemary)
3. I rub a nice amount of olive oil on the chicken
4. I only add 3 cloves garlic chicken each chicken
5. I add small carrots under the chicken (which gives the carrots nice flavor)

6.  I spoon off the extra fat off the sauce

semantics: I don't toss the onions with the olive oil in a bowl (I just do it in the pan)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/engagement-roast-chicken-recipe.html
(Ina's recipe for Engagement Roast Chicken)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/engagement-roast-chicken-recipe.html
video of Ina Garten cooking her chicken

                                       I always remove the wishbone before cooking. I find it makes for easier
                                                           cutting after cooking.

http://www.firstpost.com/topic/person/jacques-pepin-removing-the-wishbonemov-video-80ng3XPWo4E-28424-18.html

                                           I wash and dry my chicken inside and out

                                                Loosen the chicken skin over breast and
                                                Place Rosemary and lemon slices under the skin
         

                                          Salt and pepper chicken inside and out, place lemon
                                          chunks, 3 gloves peeled garlic in chicken, place stuffed on
                                          chicken top of onions and carrots mixed with a bit of olive
                                          oil

tie legs together and generously rub the chicken 

with olive oil (the oven should register at 425 (which means for my oven 400 deg. (my oven runs hot) 

Always check the temperature of the chicken or put a little knife in leg breast to see if it runs clear not red

Let chicken sit under a foil loose tent for about 10 minutes so juices go back into the meat. 

Then make gravy. (see the video and the recipe) Serve 

Recipe: very easy and definitely a comfort meal 

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Mashed Potatoes with turnips/fried shallots * 

in pan place a 3:1 ratio (potato:turnip) and 1 garlic clove (peeled)  in pan and cover

with cool water and a teaspoon of salt

Bring to boil then reduce heat to a gentle boil until a knife goes into potato/turnips easily (fork tender) - drain potato/turnips and put through ricer or mash well with butter to your liking and depending on how many potatoes/turnips you are cooking.  Blend butter and the make creamy.  Taste for seasonings.  Add s/p as needed (if needed) 

Fried Shallots:  I have tried 2 different versions of frying for fried shallots.  Ina Garten's recipe calls for cooking the thinly sliced shallots in oil for 30 - 40 minutes at 260 degrees which I found unnecessarily too long.  Martha Stewarts version of fried shallots reduces the cooking time and has the oil hotter. I found that both fried shallots turned out exactly the same without all the waiting.