Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Lemon Herb Chicken

1 4-4 1/2 Lb. Chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Lemons, washed and quartered lengthwise
Several sprigs of mixed herbs (parsley, rosemary, thyme or oregeno)
2 Tbsp. olive oil


Preheat oven to 400. Remove the giblets and neck from the cavity of the chicken and rinse well, inside and out, with water. Pat dry with paper towels and generously season inside with salt and peper.
Place the lemon quarters and herbs inside the cavity of the chicken. Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together and tuck the wing tips under the wings. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and rub the skin with the olive oil then season the outside generously with salt and pepper.
Place the chicken on its side and roast for 20 minutes. Using two wooden spoons turn the chicken to the other side and roast for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken breast side up and cook an additional 20 minutes. Turn the chicken breast side down and roast the chicken until the juices run clear when you pierce the thigh with a skewer, about 20 more minutes. Total cooking time will be around 1 hour 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and tent the chicken loosely with foil. Let the chicken rest at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes. The chicken will continue to cook as it rests and the juices will be reabsorbed into the meat.
Carve the chicken and squeeze the cooked lemons over the meat. Serves 4.

Tips: If the chicken starts to smoke as it is being cooked just add a little bit of water to the pan. Do not pierce the chicken when turning- it will lose its lovely juiciness.

Serve with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Gravy made from drippings in the pan. (DUH!) :)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Yummy! We would have made ours this way and actually started out too...but then we didn't have any of the ingredients besides chickens! Thanks for sharing. We'll have to try it next time.

Beth