Tender, golden roast chicken with mushroom gravy is a hearty, comforting feast infused with the rich and fragrant flavours of the Shire!
Wild Mushroom Seasoned Roast Chicken
Through the long, hot summer months, the hobbits of the Shire are busy tending their gardens, harvesting their crops and preserving fresh seasonal produce for their well-stocked pantries. One such pantry treasure is “the best salt in all the Shire” – Wild Mushroom Seasoning Salt. A fragrant blend of dried garden herbs and powdered wild mushrooms and part of our Hobbit Pantry recipe series. Powdered wild mushrooms add rich umami notes to this seasoning blend that combines the hobbits’ love of mushrooms with the flavours of their plentiful gardens.
In the second film of The Lord of the Rings series, The Two Towers, Samwise Gamgee himself carries a small pouch of this prized salt on his journey, dreaming of the day he can sprinkle it over a roast chicken.
This whole roasted chicken with a mushroom pan gravy is perfect to showcase the best Shire salt. Salting the chicken overnight results in a tender, juicy, and extremely flavourful chicken. The chicken is roasted until golden brown and then served with a rich pan gravy. Sautéed fresh mushrooms are added to the gravy which is finished with a pinch more of the wild mushroom seasoning salt. Packed with the comforting flavours of the Shire, this roast chicken with mushroom gravy is a feast worthy of any hobbit’s table!
Ingredients
Wild Mushroom Seasoning Salt: Overnight salting with our umami rich seasoning salt recipe results in a deeply seasoned and savoury tasting chicken. The mushroom flavour is mild and not overpowering and adds an earthy depth of flavour to this roasted chicken.
Chicken: I like to use a small fryer chicken for this recipe. Fryers are young chickens about 3 to 4 pounds in size. I recommend salting the chicken overnight which adds a ton of flavour and results in a more tender and juicy meat after roasting.
Mushrooms: I like using cremini mushrooms but you could use any type of mushroom you prefer or even a blend of wild mushrooms!
How to Make Roast Chicken with Mushroom Gravy
Salt the chicken
This might sound like an unnecessary step, but I encourage you to try it. In what is essentially a dry brine, overnight salting will render an extremely juicy, tender, and downright flavourful chicken. It is recommended to salt the chicken overnight, or for at least 3-4 hours. Pat the chicken dry and remove any strings. Liberally sprinkle 1 ½ tbsp Wild Mushroom Seasoning Salt all over the surface of the chicken, even on the back. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Remove the chicken from the fridge two hours before you intend to roast it. Remove any covering and pat the chicken dry. Allow to come up to room temperature uncovered to allow the skin to dry off.
Roast the chicken
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut a thick slice from the onion and set aside to stuff the chicken; cut the remaining onion into slices. Drizzle a large roasting pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Scatter in the sliced onion, 3 garlic cloves, and 5-6 sprigs of fresh thyme. Place a rack on top of the aromatics.
Transfer the chicken to the roasting pan. Stuff the cavity with the remaining piece of onion along with 2-3 thyme sprigs. Use twine to tie the legs together tightly and tuck the wing tips under the chicken. Rub another tablespoon of olive oil over the chicken and sprinkle with the remaining ½ tbsp Wild Mushroom Seasoning Salt, or more as needed.
Roast the chicken for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes depending on the size. Baste the chicken regularly with the pan drippings as it roasts. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Another foolproof way to tell the chicken is done is to tip the pan and check that the juices running from the cavity are no longer pink. Remove the chicken to a platter and let rest before carving.
Make the mushroom gravy
Remove the rack and any large pieces of vegetables or herbs from the roasting pan. Leave 3 tbsp of the drippings in the pan. Place the roasting pan over medium high heat.
Add the flour to the roasting pan and whisk into the fat to make a roux. Let the roux cook for a minute and then deglaze with the white wine. Add the chicken broth, half a cup at a time, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring the gravy to a boil and cook until thickened. Add more broth if desired to thin out the gravy. Season with Wild Mushroom Seasoning Salt to taste. Strain the gravy through a fine mesh strainer and keep warm.
Mince the remaining 2 garlic cloves. Place a large skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the sliced mushrooms. Sprinkle with a little Wild Mushroom Seasoning Salt and sauté for 4 to 6 minutes, tossing regularly, until the mushrooms are browned. Add the minced garlic and sauté briefly. Remove from the heat and add to the pan gravy.
Serve the Roast Chicken with Mushroom Gravy
To serve, carve the chicken into pieces. Cut the legs off each side of the chicken and then split the drumstick from the thigh. Cut the wings off. Slice each breast off the breastbone. Slice each breast into 3 or 4 slices. Arrange the chicken on a serving platter and serve with the mushroom gravy. Enjoy!
