Mom’s Roasted Chicken with Swiss Chard Bundles and Potatoes

An Original Recipe by Angela Trentadue
This year, I didn’t get to the family house on Thanksgiving Day, but made it a couple days later. Instead of making the whole turkey dinner, again, my mother made her favorite roasted chicken, which is just as good if not better and a lot more approachable on a regular basis. A complete meal in one pan in about an hour with tons of flavor. And it’s even better the next day.

1 whole chicken
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c fresh squeezed lemon juice (reserve lemon halves)
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
8 or more cloves garlic, peeled
1 large bunch swiss chard, rinsed and dried well
1 pound small red potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed
3-4 sprigs rosemary
3 tbs capers (optional), rinsed and drained

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Begin by rinsing the chicken inside and out, pat dry well and place in a roasting pan large enough to fit the bird and still have a couple inches around the edges to tuck in other ingredients.
Rub the chicken with olive oil, drizzle with lemon juice, then season evenly with salt and pepper. Scatter the garlic cloves and potatoes around the chicken. Stuff the rosemary and leftover lemon halves inside the bird. Roast for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, trim the stems of the swiss chard to about 1 inch from the greenery and split each leaf in half lengthwise.

Separate the chard into 4 – 6 equal portions, depending on how large the bunch is. Working with one portion at a time, lay the leaves on top of each other and roll up into a loose bundle starting at the tip and working toward the stem. Repeat with remaining portions until complete.
After roasting the chicken for 45 minutes, tuck the chard bundles among the potatoes and garlic, keeping the stem side down. Try to get the bundles into the juices at the bottom of the pan as much as possible. Scatter the capers, if using, around the bird and continue roasting about 15 minutes longer. The chicken is done when a leg wiggles easily or juices run clear when a thigh is pierced.
Transfer the whole chicken to a platter, or carve it up first, removing the legs, wings, thighs and breasts. Using a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables from the pan and arrange them
around the chicken. Skim off and discard the fat from the roasting pan. Pour the remaining juices over the chicken and serve.