Photo: Eoban Binder/WFIU
Use two fingers to lift the skin on the chicken breasts and then stuffs herbs inside right next to the meat.
Wacky Weather
Thanks to a rainy spring and hot summer temperatures, plants in my garden are maturing much faster this season than normal.
Take my pumpkins, for example. I harvested a gorgeous, medium-sized pumpkin in early July — at least one month earlier than usual. I can tell it’s fully ripe because the seeds are filled out and firm.
Eat The Pot
I’m making a delicious one pot meal with this pumpkin. It will be the vessel in which I bake a chicken.
Don’t be afraid to infuse flavor in this dish — pumpkin is a bland vegetable. So, when you season it, season both the chicken and the pumpkin.
Chicken Baked In A Pumpkin Pot
Ingredients
- one medium pumpkin
- one 2 ½ pound chicken
- 2 cups fresh herbs to taste (rosemary, thyme, basil, scallions, sage, fennel)
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Sweet Seasons spice blend, or pumpkin pie spice
- olive oil
Cooking Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut a lid in the top of the pumpkin and remove the seeds and pith.
- Season chicken and pumpkin with salt and pepper. Don't be afraid to be generous!
- Throw herbs inside pumpkin and stuff chicken cavity with herbs. For extra flavor, use two fingers to lift the skin on the chicken breasts and thighs. Stuff herbs inside chicken so that they lay directly against the meat.
- Place seasoned chicken inside pumpkin.
- Add wine, paprika, garlic powder and Sweet Seasons spice blend to chicken and pumpkin. Drizzle with olive oil and replace lid. Secure the lid by sticking the pumpkin with wooden skewers.
- Add ½ inch of water to a roasting pan so the bottom of the pumpkin won’t burn. Place pumpkin in roasting pan and cook in 350 degree oven for 2 hours. Juices from the chicken should run clear as an indication that it is fully cooked.
- Serve chicken with wedge of pumpkin and drizzle with juice from the pumpkin.
This recipe uses the Sweet Seasons Spice Blend.
