Crock Pot Roasted Chicken

I lost my oven, hot water heater, fridge, dishwasher, and my freezer going too? No kidding this time!  I am beginning to think that when my house was built they also installed magical buttons in my appliances and when the warranty was up, they all went “poof” (like the magic dragon) and blew up!  Nothing magical about it in my opinion!  Magic is suppose to be fun and make you laugh…..like pulling a rabbit out of a hat right?  That is the kind of magic that we enjoy and want more.  Sorry, I can do without this kind of magic!

So what do you do when a chef has no oven and hot water.  Get creative and pull out your crock pot (or grill).  I have to confess, my husband is the griller and I am not all that good with fire.  That’s another story trust me!

My husband and I love an Organic Free Range Oven Roasted Chicken occasionally, especially the recipe from Barefoot Contessa.  I have all of her books but have to admit, I use this one the most!

I am also running low on Bone Broth so I thought why not try roasting a whole chicken in a crock pot since my oven is on the blink.  To make matters worse, it can’t be fixed because they no longer make the part.  I know, seriously!  I wasn’t happy since its a perfectly beautiful stove and I kind of like it.  It’s a thing with chefs I guess, they get used to their oven and now I have to make friends with a new one.

Anyhow, enough of my wining….lets get out my crockpot, which seriously isn’t anything fancy!  I have never been much of a crock pot chef but when you haven no oven, you’re husband’s working, it’s the next best thing.

I googled Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot and as expected, several options came up.  I went with Lisa’s recipe on her 100 Days of Real Food blog because I liked on the combination of spices she used.

Normally when I roast a chicken, I smear the outside with butter (or coconut oil or olive oil), and generously salt and pepper it, inside the cavity too.   Next I stuff the cavity plump full with garlic, lemon an thyme.  It’s so simple but yet so yummy and definitely a great dish for entertaining.

The best part of roasting an entire chicken, is the carcass makes an incredible bone broth.  I always save all the bones, skin, garlic, and thyme after I pick off the meat.  Leave everything in the crock pot; add water, a bay leaf, stalk of celery, and a carrot and more herbs if you want.  Turn crockpot back to high and simmer for a few hours or put on low and go to bed and it will be waiting for you in the morning.  So easy and much less clean up!  Strain into tupperware containers and freeze or make this soup.  Delicious!

CROCKPOT WHOLE CHICKEN 

This time I used this combo of herbs.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tsp of paprika
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of onion powder
• 1 tsp of thyme
• 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
• 1 heaping tsp cayenne (red) pepper (original recipe calls for less but I like a bit more heat)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 large organic free range chicken

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine all the herbs in a small bowl.
2. Coarsely chop the onion and place it in the bottom of the slow cooker.
3. Remove any giblets from the chicken then rub the spice mixture all over.  Don’t forget the inside cavity  and I like to put under the skin on breasts.
4. Put prepared chicken on top of the onions in the slow cooker, cover it, and turn on high.  There is no need to add any liquid.
5. Cook on high for about 6 hours (for a 4 pound chicken) or until the chicken is falling off the bone.  Mine took about 7 hours.  Don’t throw out your bones!  Make some homemade stock…..for an amazing soup!