Shabbat is a day set apart as holy and joyful, and there is a tradition of honoring it with special food since it is a holy day. Serving a whole chicken is a tradition that we have seen passed down through the generations, including in Jewish communities. It looks celebratory and intentional, marking the meal as different from ordinary weekday dinners.
A whole chicken is generally quite economical, can feed several people, including Sabbath dinner guests. You can make it go further by making soup from any leftovers and broth from the carcass afterwards.
Again, this is a tradition, not at all a command of any kind. But it’s a pretty good one if you ask me.
Here are a few whole chicken recipe you might like to try out.
(The recipes below can be found on CosmopolitanCornbread.com)
Lemon and Garlic Herbed Roasted Chicken
Smoked Paprika Roasted Chicken
and if you’re looking for extra easy: How to Cook a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot
