Roast chicken and vegetables together without a soggy mess

By America’S Test Kitchen The Associated Press

It’s easy to understand the appeal of preparing chicken parts and root vegetables together on one sheet pan, but without the right technique, you are apt to wind up with unevenly cooked meat and greasy, soggy vegetables.
For a pan packed with well-browned, herb-flecked chicken and vegetables that roasted at the same rate, we arranged our ingredients on a sheet pan with their cooking times in mind. After tossing the root vegetables with fresh thyme and rosemary, we arranged halved Brussels sprouts in the centre of the pan and the denser items—chunky pieces of red potatoes and carrots and halved shallots—around the edges.
Likewise, to ensure that the chicken breasts stayed moist while the meatier thighs and drumsticks cooked through, we placed the breasts in the centre of the pan atop the sprouts and the thighs and drumsticks around the perimeter where they would take on (and benefit from) more direct contact with the oven’s intense heat.
Brushing the parts with herb butter promised added richness and browning. Roasted together in a hot oven, the chicken parts and vegetables emerged browned and perfectly cooked in about 35 minutes. Use Brussels sprouts no bigger than golf balls, as larger ones are often tough and woody. If using kosher chicken, do not brine. If brining the chicken, do not season with salt.
ONE-PAN ROASTED CHICKEN WITH ROOT VEGETABLES
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 1 hour and 15 minutes
12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
12 ounces red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces shallots, peeled and halved
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces, thick ends halved lengthwise
6 garlic cloves, peeled
4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (2 split breasts cut in half, 2 drumsticks, and 2 thighs), trimmed
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 475 F. Toss Brussels sprouts, potatoes, shallots, carrots, garlic, 2 teaspoons thyme, oil, 1 teaspoon rosemary, sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in bowl. Combine butter, remaining 2 teaspoons thyme, remaining 1 teaspoon rosemary, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in second bowl; set aside.
Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Place vegetables in single layer on rimmed baking sheet, arranging Brussels sprouts in centre. Place chicken, skin side up, on top of vegetables, arranging breast pieces in centre and leg and thigh pieces around perimeter of sheet.
Brush chicken with herb butter and roast until breasts register 160 F and thighs/drumsticks register 175 F, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through roasting. Transfer chicken to serving platter and let rest for 10 minutes. Toss vegetables in pan juices and transfer to platter with chicken. Serve.
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