Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into a Dutch oven or cast iron skillet and place in the oven to preheat.
2. Remove giblets from the chicken and pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, inside and out.
3. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, and paprika. Pour half into the inside of the chicken and rub it in. Then, stuff a couple of lemon wedges, a head of garlic with the tops sliced off and the bottom still intact, half the sliced onion, and thyme sprigs into the cavity.
4. Take the fatty skin between the chicken leg and the opening of the cavity and make a 1-inch slice on each side. Take the chicken leg and pull the widest part (bottom) of the bone through the sliced skin on the opposite side (see image below). Repeat with the other leg. This is to ensure all the goods stay in the chicken!
5. Drizzle the remaining half a tablespoon of oil over the chicken and rub the remaining half of salt, pepper, and paprika over the entire chicken.
6. Place the chicken in the Dutch oven and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Then, add the carrots, celery, potatoes, remaining lemon, and thyme to the pan, surrounding the chicken. Cover and cook for approximately an hour or until the chicken is fully cooked to 165 and the vegetables are tender.
7. Remove from the oven and place the chicken on a cutting board. Let cool for 10 minutes.
8. To serve, plate the drumsticks and wings on separate plates along with the vegetables and a drizzle of sauce from the Dutch oven.

Notes: While the chicken is still warm, pull all the meat off the bones and store it in the fridge in an airtight container for the remaining meals. If you want to go the extra mile for your future self, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. To be able to make the chicken broth, be sure to save all scraps or extras from the onion, garlic, carrots, celery (leaves are best!), and of course, all the fat, skin, and bones from the chicken.

Chicken Broth

Depending on the time you have to make broth, you can make it one of two ways with th elftover chicken bones and skin:

1. If you only have a couple hours and are a home, add the chicken bones, skin and any leftover vegetables you'd like to a large pot. Leftover carrots, celery, onions, garlic and fresh herbs from the roast chicken are ideal and you can supplement with a bit more as needed. Add 8-10 cups of water, bring to a boil, then simmer on low for approximately 2 hours. Remove from heat and strain the broth into clean jars. Allow to cool before sealing and storing in the fridge.

2. If you have plenty of time, but don't want to keep an eye on the broth, add the chicken bones, skin and any leftover vegetables you'd like to a slow cooker with 8-10 cups of water. Simmer on low for 8-10 hours. Remove from heat and strain the broth into clean jars. Allow to cool before sealing and storing in the fridge.