Monday, May 5, 2014
Monday Meal: Easy Roast Chicken
Posted By Ted Scheffler on May 5, 2014, 11:00 AM
Few things are more satisfying to me for dinner than a roasted chicken. Thankfully, it's also one of the easiest things to make, --- and yet so many people have trouble with it. Either they cook it too long and the breast dries out or not long enough and the legs and thighs don't quite get done.
Well, here is a super-easy, can't-fail recipes for roasted chicken with lemon and herbs. I guarantee that if you follow the directions, this will be one of the best and simplest chickens you've ever taken out of the oven.
Ingredients:
1 fresh roasting chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 lbs.
Handful of fresh sage leaves (or other fresh herbs of your choice, such as thyme and/or rosemary)
1 lemon, cut into 4-5 thick slices
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup mixture of chopped onion, carrots and celery
Salt and black pepper
Method:
Preheat an oven to 425 F., with a rack set to the lower-middle level of the oven.
Remove the neck and any giblets from the chicken's cavity. Pat the chicken dry inside and out with paper towels.
Salt and pepper the chicken cavity and stuff it with the sage leaves or other herbs, along with the lemon slices. Squeeze lemon over the chicken before inserting the slices.
Smear the softened butter over the entire chicken and generously salt the exterior. Tuck the wing tips under the breast and tie the chicken legs together. Then, place the chicken in an ovenproof roasting pan atop the vegetable mixture.
Place the chicken in the oven and cook at 425 F. for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 350 F. Roast for another hour, basting occasionally with the natural chicken juices.
The chicken is done when juices from a pierced thigh run clear (not pink or red). A 3 1/2 to 4 pound chicken will usually cook in about 1 1/2 hours, but ovens vary, as do chicken sizes. A surefire way to know if the chicken is done is when all juices from the cavity and thighs run clear.
Place the chicken on a cutting board and allow to rest before carving, covered with foil, for 10-15 minutes. This will allow the juices to retreat back into the flesh.
Remove the lemon pieces and herbs from the chicken's cavity. Then, carve and serve with your favorite side dishes and a simple, natural pan sauce, if desired.
Photos by Ted Scheffler
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