The secret to a great roast chicken is using fresh ingredients—a fresh roaster, along with fresh lemon, garlic and herbs. Throw some potatoes, carrots and onion in the pan, and you have a complete meal.
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients:
- 1 whole roasting chicken
- 1 lemon
- 1 stick butter (soften at room temperature)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (divided)
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 head of garlic, loosened
- A few sprigs of rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Loosen the skin of the chicken above the breast area.
- Remove zest from lemon and set aside. Squeeze juice from lemon and set aside. Cut the lemon in wedges.
- In a medium bowl, stir together 1/2 stick butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil, minced garlic clove, 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary and lemon zest. Using a spoon or table knife, spread the butter mixture under the skin of the chicken.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper inside the chicken cavity and stuff the cavity with remaining 1/2 stick butter, head of garlic, sprigs of rosemary, and lemon wedges.
- Place chicken in a roasting pan. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on the chicken and rub evenly all over. (If there's any leftover butter mixture, rub that on the top of chicken as well.) Sprinkle generous amounts of salt and pepper and remaining 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary and parsley over the chicken.
- Place the pan in the hot oven and reduce the heat to 400°F. Roast for 30 minutes. Then pour the reserved lemon juice over the chicken and continue to roast at 350°F for another 60 minutes. Lightly tent with foil if the chicken is browning too quickly. (Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the chicken. Insert a meat thermometer into a meaty part of the chicken leg, avoiding the bone. It's done when it reaches 165°.)
- Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before you carve it.
This recipe is courtesy of Gourmandize.com.
