Roast Chicken Caesar
A classic Roast Chicken Caesar recipe with a gourmet touch. Featuring anchovies, fresh garlic, shallots, and a homemade dressing, this dish brings a tasty twist to the traditional Caesar salad.
Ingredients
- 8 anchovies, mashed to a paste
- 8 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 6 Tbsp. mayonnaise, divided
- 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, plus more
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more
- 1 3/4-4 lb. whole chicken
- Kosher salt
- 8-10 medium shallots, unpeeled, halved lengthwise
- 2 lemons, divided
- 1 oz. Parmesan, finely grated
- 4 oz. country-style bread, torn into 1/2" pieces
- 2 romaine hearts, leaves separated, torn
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Whisk anchovies, garlic, 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp. mustard, 1 Tbsp. oil, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a small bowl. Set aside 1 Tbsp. anchovy mayo in another small bowl.
- Pat chicken dry; season outside and inside with salt. Arrange bread side up in a cast-iron skillet and tuck wings underneath. Arrange shallots around the chicken and spoon reserved anchovy mayo all over chicken and bread, toss shallots with any leftover anchovy mayo.
- Place skillet in oven and roast until some anchovy mayo begins to drip onto shallots, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and, using tongs, turn shallots to coat in drippings, then return to oven and continue to roast until a thermometer registers 155°F, 45-55 minutes.
- Transfer chicken and shallots to a cutting board, leaving behind any juices and fat in skillet. If shallots need more time to soften and darken, roast a bit longer without chicken before proceeding. Reserve skillet and all the drippings and bits.
- Reduce oven temperature to 400°F.
- Finely grate half of zest of 1 lemon into a large bowl; cut lemon in half and squeeze in juice. Add reserved 1 Tbsp. anchovy mayo, remaining 3 Tbsp. mayo, and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil and whisk to combine, then stir in Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Set dressing aside.
- Add torn bread to reserved skillet with fat and toss to coat. Return skillet to oven and toast bread, tossing halfway through, until golden brown and crisp, 10-12 minutes.
- Transfer croutons to bowl with salad dressing. Add romaine and gently toss until lettuce is well coated. Season salad with salt and pepper. Slice remaining lemon into wedges. Carve chicken, transfer to a platter, arrange shallots and lemon wedges around and serve.