How to get the most from a farmer's market chicken: slow roasted

If you recently bought an organic or farmer's market chicken I bet you paid a pretty penny for it, below is a recipe for chicken, chicken stock and chicken broth so you can get the most from your wonderful purchase! Buying your chicken directly from the farmer who raised it is not only allowing you to support a human being rather than a corporation but it also can improve your health. Buying organic chicken means you are getting a chicken raised free of pesticides, antibiotics, added hormone and various other toxins which promote inflammation and cancer. It also means you're contributing less to antibiotic resistance, polluted waterways and erosion so yay for you and the earth! Talk to your farmer about how the chicken was raised specifically to discover how humanely it was treated and how happy it was during its cute little chicken life so you can feel even better about where your money is going:)

This is a recipe that is moist, flavorful and chicken that really tastes like chicken! Look out for more recipes to make you dollar stretch even further:)

 How to get the bang from your buck: Farmer’s Market Slow Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

-½ cup +1tsp apple cider vinegar

-6 cloves  of garlic

-2 sprigs fresh rosemary (2 tbsp dry)

-1 handful fresh sage (1tsp dry)

-3 bay leaves

-2 onions

-2 organic lemons

-1 whole 4lbs chicken

Directions for Oven:

1. Make sure your chicken is defrosted, this may take 3 days in the refrigerator, so plan ahead

2. Preheat oven to 275F

3. place chicken on an ungreased baking pan

4. place 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar in a small bowl

5. remove the skins from the garlic* place them into a garlic press and squeeze into the small bowl

6.use your palms to rub the rosemary leaves off the spring and into the bowl

7. finely chop the sage and rub between your palms, so it releases its oils, into the bowl

8. crinkle 2 bay leaves into the bowl and mix together, set aside

9. slice lemons and chop onions into large chunks

10.place onion inside chicken cavity

11. spread the herb mixture under the chicken skin and place lemon slices under the skin as well

12. Dilute the ½ cup of apple cider vinegar with 1 ½ cups of water and pour over chicken

13. cover the chicken with a tent of aluminum foil and place in the oven, bake for 1hr and 30mins, flip the chicken over and bake for another hour cover, then remove tent and bake at 375F for 30mins, remove from the oven when you cut into it with a knife and is no longer pink

*if you smash them with something first, like a spice jar they easily come out of their skins. also, if you don’t have a garlic press you can finely mince the garlic

If you eat the chicken strait off the bone it tastes delicious with some of the cooked lemon juice squeezed on top and the cooked onions on the side.

Directions for slow cooker:

1. Make sure your chicken is defrosted, this may take 3 days in the refrigerator, so plan ahead

2. place chicken in the slow-cooker

3. place 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar in a small bowl

4. remove the skins from the garlic* place them into a garlic press and squeeze into the small bowl

5.use your palms to rub the rosemary leaves off the spring and into the bowl

6. finely chop the sage and rub between your palms, so it releases its oils, into the bowl

7. crinkle 2 bay leaves into the bowl and mix together, set aside

8. slice lemons and chop onions into large chunks

9.place onion inside chicken cavity

10. spread the herb mixture under the chicken skin and place lemon slices under the skin as well

11. turn slow-cooker to low and cook for 8-10 hours, remove from slow-cooker when you cut into it with a knife and is no longer pink

Directions for Chicken Stock (use for broth):

1. strain liquid from pan into bowl

2. cover and refrigerate overnight

3. remove the fat off the top and put the rest into an ice cube tray, cover and freeze

4. anytime you need broth dilute each cube with 1 cup of water

Directions for broth:

1. place bones and skin in a slow-cooker

2. add chopped carrots, onions, celery, and a bay leaf or any other additions you want to flavor the broth

3. fill the slow cooker with water and turn to low, cook for 10 hours

4. strain and store broth, covered, for up to a week in the fridge