Roasted Chicken with a Balsamic Glaze

Adapted from Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen

Ingredients:

2.5-3 lb Contentnea Red Chicken
salt
freshly ground black pepper
5 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves
10 sage leaves
2 bay leaves
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 bunches spring onions, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lenghts (about 2 cups)
1 cup carrots, peeled, trimmed, and thinly sliced
2 stalks of celery , thinly sliced
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
2 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the neck and giblets from the chicken. Rinse the chicken under cold water and pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Season the bird generously with salt and pepper inside and out. Place one rosemary sprig, 2 sage leaves and 1 bay leaf in the body cavity of each bird.

Heat the oil in a heavy, flame-proof roasting pan or very large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add the spring onion, celery; carrots, mushrooms and the remaining rosemary and sage leaves and cook, stirring until the onions are wilted, about 4 minutes. Smooth the vegetables into an even layer and nestle the chicken breast side up over them. Roast, basting frequently with enough of the chicken stock to keep the vegetables well moistened, until the vegetables and bird are golden brown-about 45 minutes.

Carefully tilt the pan and spoon off enough of the roasting juices to measure one cup, not including fat. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and honey until the honey is dissolved. Return the bird to oven and roast, basting occasionally with the honey mixture, until the birds are a rich mahogany color and the leg joint moves easily when you wiggle it, about 15 minutes.

Remove the bird from the oven, transfer to a platter, and cover with a tent of aluminum foil to keep it warm. Strain the pan juices through a sieve into a small saucepan, pressing as much of the vegetables through the sieve as possible. Skim the fat from the surface of the sauce and bring the sauce to a simmer while carving the bird. Once you have arranged the pieces on a platter spoon some of the roasting juices over it. Pass the remaining sauce separately.