The Ocean

Chicken by the Sea

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Recipe: Slow Roasted Herbed Chicken with Late Summer Vegetables

There's something both exciting and comforting about a perfectly roasted chicken—especially when it’s done on the grill. This recipe has a wonderful contrast of crispy, smoky skin and juicy, tender meat. Pair it with you favorite mix of simply grilled vegetables and you’ve got a decadent and easy meal.

Serves four
1 whole roasting chicken
½ cup of fresh soft herbs (such as parsley, chervil, tarragon)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1.5 lbs. late summer vegetables (such as eggplant, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes)
Olive oil
Salt

Prepare a charcoal grill with the coals on one side of the grill.


Coarsely chop the herbs. Mix together the herbs, butter, and 2 teaspoons salt until evenly combined. Gently loosen the skin over the breasts and stuff the butter mixture into the pocket under the skin. Smooth the skin back to its original place, distributing the butter mixture as you go. Place the chicken breast side up on the non-coal side of the grill and allow to slowly roast for 1-1.5 hours, depending on the heat of the flame. The chicken is done when you can pierce the thigh and the juices run clear.


Slice the vegetables lengthwise into ½ inch slices so they don’t fall through the grill. Season generously with olive oil and salt. When the chicken has been cooking for about an hour, add the vegetables to the grill. After 8-10 minutes, flip the vegetables over. Cook until tender and slightly crisped on the edges.


Serve immediately or at room temperature.

The Relationship Between Agriculture and Marine Ecosystems

When we eat chicken, most of us probably don’t think about how we’re impacting the oceans. But, in reality, there is a delicate relationship between agriculture and marine ecosystems. The Lacheys at Blenheim Organic Gardens are modeling the simple ways farmers can help protect that connection, while still producing high quality and delicious products. Most conventional farms use commercial fertilizer to ensure abundant yields. Yet, when agricultural run-off carrying that synthetic nitrogen and phosphorus enters our waterways, the result is an overabundance of algae. When this algae dies, the decomposition process removes oxygen from the water, causing huge numbers of fish and other aquatic creatures to suffocate and die. Blenheim’s mobile chicken coops allow the Lacheys to operate without commercial fertilizer. They move their chickens from field to field after harvest, to eat leftover produce, weeds, insects and grubs—what chickens were meant to eat. In turn, the chickens naturally fertilize the soil. The result is not only more delicious meat and eggs, but also a closed-loop nutrient cycle. Through simple methods like these, farmers can produce higher quality products while limiting their impacts on surrounding ecosystems. Sounds like everyone wins—the farmer, the consumer, and the oceans!

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Ocean Topics

Barton Seaver, Chef/Conservationist

  • Photo: Barton Seaver

    Barton Seaver is a chef who has dedicated his career to restoring the relationship we have with our ocean. It is his belief that the choices we are making for dinner are directly impacting the ocean and its fragile ecosystems.

Watch Barton's TED Talk: Sustainable Seafood? Let's Get Smart »

Seafood Resources

Support the Ocean

Engage, Conserve, Restore

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    Freshwater Initiative

    The National Geographic Society’s freshwater initiative is a multi-year global effort to inspire and empower individuals and communities to conserve freshwater and preserve the extraordinary diversity of life that rivers, lakes, and wetlands sustain.