Just in time for the weekend, I have an incredibly delicious entrée, Roast Chicken with Bread and Arugula Salad recipe that I know your family and guests will love! It does take a little prep work but you can do all of that up to 48 hours in advance and it is so worth it.
Place the chicken in a baking dish. To dry brine the chicken, first using your fingers or the handle of a wooden spoon gently loosen the skin from the breasts and thighs. Be careful not to break the skin. Carefully slide the sprigs of thyme and garlic cloves under the skin. Put the cut up lemon in the cavity along with a few more sprigs of thyme. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and ½ to ¾ teaspoon of pepper. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24-48 hours.
When ready to roast the chicken, preheat your oven to 500 degrees. (Make sure your oven is very clean, or you will end up with a kitchen filled with smoke.) Place 3-4 pieces of ¾ to 1-inch thick bread in the bottom of your cast iron pan. (I bought a whole loaf of White Mountain Bread from Publix and sliced it myself. French bread would work well too. Regular bread is too thin and will not hold up in this recipe.)
Brush the chicken with olive oil and place it on top of the bread slices, breast side up. Roast uncovered for 30 minutes, then carefully remove from the oven and turn the chicken over. Do not turn over the bread slices. Roast the chicken uncovered for another 15 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted in the thickest part of the breast. (The bread will probably look burned and be soaked with pan juices. This is exactly what you want.)
When the chicken is done, remove the skillet from the oven and cover tightly with foil. Allow the chicken to rest for a full 30 minutes.
Place the roasted chicken on a cutting board and carve the chicken into pieces and cut the bread into cubes.
For the Vinaigrette
While the chicken rests, make the Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette for the Arugula Salad. Simply add vinegar, mustard, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, minced garlic, finely minced scallions and olive oil to a mason jar. Cover and shake well. Set aside.
To serve
Place the Arugula in a large bowl, add the desired amount of vinaigrette and toss well.
When you are ready to serve this dish, pour the dressed Arugula leaves in a large, shallow serving platter. Top with chicken pieces, then the toasted bread croutons. Sprinkle dried cranberries and toasted pine nuts on the top. Serve warm or cold. Enjoy!
Notes
**To make ahead, season and dry brine the chicken as directed above. Up to a day ahead, prepare the vinaigrette and refrigerate.