Paleo Pairing: Roast Chicken & Ramey Chardonnay

I am revamping my favorite roast chicken recipe and making it Paleo friendly for today’s Paleo Pairing by substituting an olive oil rub for my herb butter and I am also nixing the mashed potatoes.

16 days of a dairy-free, grain-free diet hasn’t been as difficult as I thought it would be. It does however require a lot of planning and prep in the kitchen. I will definitely incorporate parts of the Paleo philosophy as part of my diet beyond my January challenge, but I am looking forward to having an occasional treat and reintroducing butter and cheese.

My Paleo Pairing for day 16 of my month-long Paleo challenge features Roast Chicken & Ramey Chardonnay.  Check out my other favorite California Chardonnay producers here.

INGREDIENTS 

4-5lb chicken
1 lemon (quartered)
1 head of garlic (cut in half)
1/2 spanish onion
handful thyme & rosemary sprigs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbs Herbs de Provence (mix with olive oil)
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil for drizzle

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Remove giblets from chicken cavity and generously salt & pepper cavity.  Stuff the bird with lemon, onion, garlic, thyme & rosemary sprigs. Place chicken in small roasting pan with a rack and truss the legs.  Gently separate the skin from the chicken breast and smear the herbs de provence mixture underneath the skin. This is a great trick that keeps the chicken super juicy! Drizzle a little more olive oil on top of the skin and season with salt & pepper.  Roast chicken for about 1 hr and 15 min or until juices run clear and meat thermometer reads 165 degrees.   A good rule of thumb is about 15 minutes per pound at 425 degrees. If the chicken is getting too brown on the outside, cover with aluminum foil half way through roasting and remove at the end to ensure you have nice crispy skin.