A quote to indicate a certain level of comfort and for good reason. A delicious roast chicken is fulfilling for both the tummy and the soul. For Christmas this year, I decided to make my lemon rosemary chicken. It is easy and delicious and … can provide tasty leftovers and then great soup. The secret is to buy a good whole roasting chicken, fresh rosemary sprigs and a lemon or two. I also liked to add oregano but the great thing is you can customize your chicken to your tastes.
There are so many recipes for roasting a chicken – see link for Ina Garten’s below for more details. I think the secret is the use of ingredients. Have the rosemary sprigs and sliced lemons and any other ingredients ready to use. I like to also use carrots and potatoes to roast as well. Preheat the oven and rinse the chicken inside and out. Always check to see if there is a plain paper wrapping inside the cavity and if there is, remove and set aside. Next pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and place in the roasting pan. Next rub or brush the chicken with good olive oil or oil of choice. Salt the bird and I also cover the ends of the legs and wings with foil to keep them from burning. I then take a few lemons and place under the skin of the breast. You don’t have to but it helps baste and keep the bird moist. I also place thin slices on top of the bird and put a pat of butter on each slice. I also place rosemary, butter and the ends of the lemons inside the bird’s large cavity. Placing rosemary in the neck cavity is also good.
A lot of the recipes suggest starting the bird at a high temp like 400 for 20 min and then turning it down. I think this is a good idea. If it is a larger bird (3-5 lbs) you will definitely want to start the bird before adding the veggies.
The bird can take an 2-3 hours depending on the oven temp and number of veggies. The chicken will begin to smell delicious, however, make sure the bird is cooked. Beef can be eaten raw but …chicken eaten raw can be deadly. Chicken is done when it the temp is 165 degrees. And the breast often cooks faster so don’t pull the chicken too soon. Baste the chicken with the chicken juices or … add more butter on top and to the veggies. At this point, I also sprinkled the bird and veggies with oregano.
I can’t give you a preview of that smell of lemon, rosemary and chicken but I can provide some pictures. This is an easy dinner and can be started before guests arrive or before the hungry people in your households start sneaking in for snacks. Even if you are the only the diner, make a smaller chicken as the leftovers are delicious. And, depending on how motivated you are, make broth and/or soup with the rest. This all makes the “chicken in the pot” both a comfort and delicious taste of prosperity while not breaking the bank! Please give the chicken a try even if you “think” you can’t cook. The most important thing to remember is “no-pink” inside. I think you will fall in love with this easy, comforting and delicious food. Something we can enjoy this year!
Reference:
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/perfect-roast-chicken-recipe-1940592
