½of a medium kabocha squash, seeded and cut into 2” chunkswe want about 2 lbs. of cut squash*
5shallotspeeled and halved
1cupseedless red grapes
6sprigs fresh thyme
Olive oilfor drizzling
Kosher salt and pepperto taste
1large head of garlictop cut off to expose the cloves
3Tbspmaple syrup
3Tbspolive oil
1tspblack pepper
1tspground coriander
½tspsmoked paprika
¼tspcayennemore to taste
1(about 4 pounds)whole chicken spatchcocked**
¼cupdry white wineor chicken stock
1anchovyminced to a paste, optional
¼cupfinely chopped fresh dill
¼cupfinely chopped fresh parsley
1lemon zested and juiced
¼cupextra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Add squash, shallots, grapes, and thyme to a large baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil to coat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine.
Nestle in garlic cut side down. Set aside.
Combine maple syrup, 3 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp black pepper, coriander, paprika and cayenne in a small bowl.
Rub maple mixture all over the chicken, then season generously with salt. Place chicken on top of the squash. Pour white wine around the chicken, over the squash.
Bake for 45-60 minutes, until chicken is golden and the internal temperature of the breast reaches between 160-165 F, and the dark meat is at least 180 F. Check the chicken every now and then during the roasting process. If the skin is getting too brown for your liking, reduce the oven temp to 350 F for the remainder of the cooking. ***
Let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes.
While the chicken rests, carefully squeeze the roasted garlic out of the peel into a small bowl. Add in anchovies and smash garlic to a paste.
Add in dill, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice and the ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil. Season with a touch of salt and pepper (careful with the salt the anchovies are quite salty). Stir to combine.
Remove the thyme sprigs and serve chicken/vegetables with the roasted garlic herb sauce on the side. The pan juices are also delish! This dish is great as a stand-alone meal, or served with a leafy salad, crusty sourdough toast or steamed white rice.
Video
Notes
*You can use any squash you’d like! Also, feel free to peel the kabocha squash if you don’t like that texture.**To spatchcock the chicken, use kitchen shears to cut down each side of the backbone to remove it. Flip the chicken over and press down on the breast to crack the breast bone and flatten the chicken. You can also ask your butcher to do this for you and some grocery stores sell them spatchcocked! :) ***I like the chicken skin deeply brown but just keep an eye on it and reduce the oven temperature if desired.