Garlic Roast Chicken with Scape Pesto

Position 1 rack in the upper third and 1 rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400°F (200°C).

To make the pesto, in a food processor, combine the garlic scapes, basil, parsley, walnuts, Parmesan and lemon juice and pulse until coarsely chopped. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and process until smooth. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper. Set aside.

To make the chicken, in a 12-inch (30-cm) cast-iron skillet, toss together the shallots, garlic heads, 6 whole green onions and 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) olive oil. Arrange the vegetables along the perimeter of the pan; tuck the green onions under and around the shallots and garlic and place the garlic heads cut side up. Pour about 1 Tbs. olive oil on each garlic head. Season the vegetables with kosher salt and pepper. Chop the remaining 2 green onions and set aside for garnish.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place, breast side up, on top of the vegetables. Brush the chicken with the melted butter and sprinkle with the garlic bomb seasoning. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine, then tuck the wings under the breasts. Let stand while you prepare the potatoes.

To make the potatoes, scrub them and dry well with paper towels. Working with 1 potato a time, using a mandoline, thinly slice the potato. Gather the slices at the end of each potato, keeping them together to retain the potato’s shape. Carefully arrange the potatoes in a 10-inch (25-cm) cast-iron skillet, fanning out the slices slightly. Drizzle with the olive oil and season generously with kosher salt and pepper. Tuck the bay leaves around the potatoes.

Transfer the skillet with the chicken to the bottom oven rack and the skillet with the potatoes to the top rack, rotating the pans between the racks halfway through roasting.

Roast until the shallots, garlic heads and green onions are tender and very browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken breast, away from the bone, registers 165° (74°C) and the thigh, 170°F (77°C), 45 minutes to 1 hour. Roast the potatoes until tender and starting to crisp around the edges, 45 minutes to 1 hour; the undersides should be very crisp.

Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with the chopped green onions. Sprinkle the potatoes with the chives, flaky sea salt and a few grindings of pepper. Carve the chicken and serve with the potatoes and scape pesto. Serves 4.

Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen