Do not peel but open the garlic and break into cloves.

Cut the base from the celery head and reserve.

Thoroughly rinse celery stalks, including the little tiny pieces in the center.

Dry larger celery stalks and trim the leafy parts off (the larger stalks only).

Rinse the carrots and dry them.

Rinse the fresh parsley and set aside.

Do not peel, but quarter 2 medium and 1 small onions.

Cut 2 large celery stalks each into four big chunks.

Cut 1 smaller celery stalk into two big chunks, leaves are ok.

Cut 2 large carrots each into four big chunks.

Pick 2 parsley stems and remove most of the leaves.

Preheat oven to 425° F.

Get out a 12” or 14” cast iron skillet at least 2 inches deep.

If you don’t have a cast iron skillet use a 13”x9” baking pan or a Dutch oven.

Place the 2 medium quartered onion into the above pan.

Add 5 unpeeled garlic cloves to the pan.

Add the cut-up large celery pieces and all but 2 pieces of the cut-up carrots to the pan.

Place the small quartered onion, 2 unpeeled garlic cloves, the cut-up smaller celery stalk (including any leaves), and 2 pieces of the cut carrot into a medium saucepan.

Add 1 tsp Kosher salt, ¼ tsp crushed black pepper, 1 bay leaf and the parsley stem.

Remove the chicken from the packaging and remove the neck, and giblets and place in the prepared medium saucepan.

Place the chicken, breast side up on top of the vegetables in prepared roasting pan.

If you prefer, you can rinse your chicken, but if you do so, please pat it dry with paper towels, inside and out.

Tuck the wings under the chicken carefully.

Generously salt and pepper the outside of the chicken.

Cover the giblets, neck, and vegetables with cold water.

Set pot on stove over lowest heat.

This will continue to cook while the chicken roasts.

Place the chicken pan in the oven on the middle shelf.

Bake for 20 minutes at 425° F.

Open the oven and turn the halfway around to evenly cook the other side of the chicken.

Reduce temperature to 350° F and bake for 1 hour and 15-30 minutes, depending on the weight of your chicken.

If 4 pounds or so, cook for 1 hour 15 minutes, if 5 pounds or so, cook 1 hour 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Follow the instructions for the jasmine rice in the instant pot* recipe on this webpage, however use the 1.5 Cups long grain white rice but do not rinse the rise.

If you do not have an instant pot cook the rice following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Once the rice is cooked, carefully spread it out on a cookie sheet to cool on kitchen counter.

Once fully cooled move to a storage container or zip top bag and place in the refrigerator for use later in the soup.

*Wash the instant pot for later use.

Don’t remove the chicken from the pan unless you are using a glass baking dish.

Carve the chicken in the pan, allowing the juices to run into the pan.

There are plenty of great how-to videos of how to carve, I’m not going to re-invent the wheel here… yet…

Serve chicken and/or set aside for the chicken and rice soup.

Remove the chicken carcass, vegetable pieces, and vegetables from the pan and place into a stock pot or 8 quart (or larger) instant pot.

Add 1 Cup of the simmering giblets broth to the pan.

If you did not use the cast iron pan for the roast chicken, transfer the drippings from the roasting pan to a small saucepan, otherwise, continue with the drippings and broth in the cast iron pan.

Set cast iron or saucepan to the stovetop and simmer over medium high heat.

Allow to cook for 2 minutes.

If more gravy is needed than what is in the pan, add up to 1 additional Cup of giblets broth.

If you prefer, or did not use the giblets, use 1 Cup previously made chicken stock.

Adjust seasoning, by adding more salt and black pepper.

Mix 2 TBSP water with 2 TBSP cornstarch in a jar with a lid, shaking well.

Add cornstarch water mixture to the pan 1 tsp at a time.

Whisk well and allow to cook for 1 minute between each tsp.

Transfer to a gravy boat, or other serving tool.

Note: this part of the recipe is best used in an 8 quart instant pot. A 6 quart can be used; however, an 8 quart is best. If an 8 quart instant pot is unavailable please consider using the stovetop method.

Preparing the stock (stovetop method):

Add chicken carcass, vegetables from roasting pan, remaining giblet broth and all contents of giblet saucepan to stockpot.

Add 2 TBSP peppercorns, 4 bay leaves, 2 stems of parsley, with all leaves.

Add 2 onions quartered, 1.5 carrots quartered, remaining leafy celery hearts, 4 garlic cloves.

Cover with 10 Cups cold water.

Set to cook over high heat.

Once it reaches a boil, turn to a simmer, and allow to cook for 5-10 hours.

Add chicken carcass, vegetables from roasting pan, remaining giblet broth and all contents of giblet saucepan to stockpot.

Add 2 TBSP peppercorns, 4 bay leaves, 2 stems of parsley, with all leaves.

Add 2 onions quartered, 1.5 carrots quartered, remaining leafy celery hearts, 4 garlic cloves.

Cover with cold water until max fill line is reached in an 8 quart instant pot.

It’s ok if the veggies and or carcass float over the line a little.

Close the lid and set to high pressure cook for 45 minutes.

Allow a full natural pressure release, by allowing all the steam to slowly seep out of the instant pot over time.

Avoid doing a quick pressure release.

While the stock is cooking, prep the soup.

Chop remaining celery, carrots, onions into ½ inch pieces and place in a bowl.

Set aside.

Chop garlic finely, add to bowl of celery, carrots, and onions.

Pick parsley leaves off stems and chop finely into ¼ Cup and add to bowl of vegetables above.

Add 2 bay leaves to this bowl.

Chop the leftover chicken into ½ inch pieces and set aside in a SEPARATE bowl or storage container/zip top bag and place chicken in refrigerator.

Once the stock is done cooking, it’s time to very carefully strain the stock from the vegetables and other contents in the pot.

Place a colander into another large pot or, a big heat resistant bowl, like glass or heavy plastic or the like.

Place the colander/pot/bowl into the kitchen sink and ladle the stock from the cooking pot into the colander/pot/bowl until the large pot/heat resistant bowl is full.

Then remove the colander and place the contents of the colander into a double or triple lined trash bag (without holes).

If necessary, get another large pot or, a big heat resistant bowl, like glass or heavy plastic or the like and strain into that, repeating the steps above.

Once all the stock is strained, and contents of the colander is emptied into the trash, allow to cool and place in storage containers, except for 5 Cups, for soup.

Note: this part of the recipe is best used in an 3-8 quart instant pot.

If an instant pot is unavailable, please use the stovetop method.

Add 5 Cups of the stock and the bowl of vegetables from prepping the soup into a large pot.

Add ½ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp fresh ground pepper to the pot.

Set the pot to the stove on medium-high heat for 45-60 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Remove from heat and add cooled rice and chopped chicken to the pot.

Stir well.

Allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Serve.

Add 5 Cups of the stock and the bowl of vegetables from prepping the soup into the instant pot.

Add ½ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp fresh ground pepper to the pot.

Set instant pot to high pressure and 2 minutes cook time.

Allow to natural release for 5 minutes.

Once depressurized, add cooled rice and chopped chicken to the pot.

Stir well.

Allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Serve.