It's wild leek season here in the Ottawa Valley. As I walked the dogs yesterday I came upon a forest floor absolutely covered in this wild, green delicacy. After a long winter of root veggies, I love the soft tender feel of the green leaves and the faint smell of onion in the air. I can imagine that the First Nations of the area must have been so happy to add this wild food into their diets after a hard winter of stored food.
So with that in mind, I decided to forage. We are on day 2 of our $5 a day food challenge, and herbs were not in the budget, but foraging is allowed, so off I went to gather leeks on the walk to add to our little roast chicken on the menu. The results were delicious. Unfortunately we were all so hungry we tore into it right away and I didn't get a picture ... but trust me... it was amazing!
If you're really planning ahead, you could do this before work in the morning and put it in the fridge until you get home. If there is no room in your fridge for your roasting pan, try putting the chicken or the parts in a ziploc bag, or wrap it in plastic wrap and put it on a plate.
Roast Chicken with Wild Leeks
1 Chicken (ours was about 3 and a half pounds, you could use any size chicken or chicken parts ... legs and thighs would work well, just make sure it's skin on)
5 - 10 wild leeks (also called ramps). wash well to make sure there is no grit, trim root ends a bit if need be
cooking onion (I used 1/2 of a medium) cut into quarters
Salt, pepper (you could also add some dried thyme)
Optional: lemon, thyme, parsley (we were on our budget so didn't have those things and it was still delicious!)
Step 1.
Take your chicken and cut any strings that are being used to tie it together, and place it breast side up on a meat safe cutting board (I use a plastic one for this because I can put it in the dishwasher after).
Step 2.
Run your fingers under the skin to carefully separate it from the meat ... start at the back cavity and just gently loosen it, you can sometimes get a little bit down along the legs as well
Step 3.
Start sliding leeks under the skin ... green part and all. I think I used 6 on our bird last night, if it's bigger you might use more, if you are using individual thighs, budget one leek per thigh. You could also cut them if you want to stretch them a bit (I've seen them sell for about $20 per pound in the city, so feel free to cheat a little here!).
Step 4.
Sprinkle the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper ... course salt is great here, and don't worry about the salt ... add a little more than you think you might need, the salty delicious skin is a treat! Here is where you might want to add some dried or fresh thyme to the skin ... you could also add some fresh sprigs under the skin as well. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper, and stuff the cavity with the onion (and lemon if you are using it, any remaining leeks would be good as well) and place in the roasting pot and put in the fridge until dinner.
Step 5.
Take the chicken out of the fridge while the oven heats to 375 degrees. Place it breast side up in your roasting pan (or in a glass dish if using parts), and once oven is heated, bake the chicken. If you're using a whole chicken, getting a meat thermometer is a great help, and you want to roast it until the thickest part of the thigh registers 170 degrees. If you don't have a meat thermometer, air on the side of caution and check to make sure the leg pulls easily away from the body, juices run clear and there is no pink. For a 3 pound chicken this will take about an hour, so plan accordingly. Let the chicken rest for about 10 - 15 minutes
Step 6.
Carve and enjoy!* I served this last night with some simple steamed broccoli and some red potatoes that I quartered and boiled in salted water until almost cooked. I chopped up some of the leeks I had left over and melted some butter and tossed the cooked potatoes with this and then put them in the oven to roast in a dish about 1/2 hour before the chicken was done.
*By "carve" I mean break off the legs, cut the meat off the breast ... I am not very good at this, and often just use my hands to remove chunks of meat from the bird! Not elegant by any means!
So with that in mind, I decided to forage. We are on day 2 of our $5 a day food challenge, and herbs were not in the budget, but foraging is allowed, so off I went to gather leeks on the walk to add to our little roast chicken on the menu. The results were delicious. Unfortunately we were all so hungry we tore into it right away and I didn't get a picture ... but trust me... it was amazing!
If you're really planning ahead, you could do this before work in the morning and put it in the fridge until you get home. If there is no room in your fridge for your roasting pan, try putting the chicken or the parts in a ziploc bag, or wrap it in plastic wrap and put it on a plate.
Roast Chicken with Wild Leeks
1 Chicken (ours was about 3 and a half pounds, you could use any size chicken or chicken parts ... legs and thighs would work well, just make sure it's skin on)
5 - 10 wild leeks (also called ramps). wash well to make sure there is no grit, trim root ends a bit if need be
cooking onion (I used 1/2 of a medium) cut into quarters
Salt, pepper (you could also add some dried thyme)
Optional: lemon, thyme, parsley (we were on our budget so didn't have those things and it was still delicious!)
Step 1.
Take your chicken and cut any strings that are being used to tie it together, and place it breast side up on a meat safe cutting board (I use a plastic one for this because I can put it in the dishwasher after).
Step 2.
Run your fingers under the skin to carefully separate it from the meat ... start at the back cavity and just gently loosen it, you can sometimes get a little bit down along the legs as well
Step 3.
Start sliding leeks under the skin ... green part and all. I think I used 6 on our bird last night, if it's bigger you might use more, if you are using individual thighs, budget one leek per thigh. You could also cut them if you want to stretch them a bit (I've seen them sell for about $20 per pound in the city, so feel free to cheat a little here!).
Step 4.
Sprinkle the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper ... course salt is great here, and don't worry about the salt ... add a little more than you think you might need, the salty delicious skin is a treat! Here is where you might want to add some dried or fresh thyme to the skin ... you could also add some fresh sprigs under the skin as well. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper, and stuff the cavity with the onion (and lemon if you are using it, any remaining leeks would be good as well) and place in the roasting pot and put in the fridge until dinner.
Step 5.
Take the chicken out of the fridge while the oven heats to 375 degrees. Place it breast side up in your roasting pan (or in a glass dish if using parts), and once oven is heated, bake the chicken. If you're using a whole chicken, getting a meat thermometer is a great help, and you want to roast it until the thickest part of the thigh registers 170 degrees. If you don't have a meat thermometer, air on the side of caution and check to make sure the leg pulls easily away from the body, juices run clear and there is no pink. For a 3 pound chicken this will take about an hour, so plan accordingly. Let the chicken rest for about 10 - 15 minutes
Step 6.
Carve and enjoy!* I served this last night with some simple steamed broccoli and some red potatoes that I quartered and boiled in salted water until almost cooked. I chopped up some of the leeks I had left over and melted some butter and tossed the cooked potatoes with this and then put them in the oven to roast in a dish about 1/2 hour before the chicken was done.
*By "carve" I mean break off the legs, cut the meat off the breast ... I am not very good at this, and often just use my hands to remove chunks of meat from the bird! Not elegant by any means!