Roasted chicken: here is a time-honored classic dish. It conjures up visions of a comforting meal shared by family and friends alike in any season. It can be the central figure in a modest meal, the one you turn to when you are trimming your budget. The faithful bird, even during tough times, remains succulent, fragrant, golden, crisp, and savory.
If you are feeling elegant, simply surround your roasted fowl with white linens, lovely serving dishes filled with mouth-watering treats, candlelight and goblets of your favorite wine. The fine, feathered bird is so versatile.
Roasting a chicken is so deliciously easy. You can complicate it with stuffing, dressings, and the like. I prefer a bird less fussy. As you will note in my recipe, I simply wrap my chickens around citrus and onions, allowing these flavors to mingle with the spices and natural juices of the fowl. It quickly and effortlessly roasts to perfection.
Roasted Chicken
1 4-6 lb. roasting chicken, rinsed inside and out and patted dry
Herbs: thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano, sage ( I have utilized any and all combinations of these herbs when roasting a chicken) preferably both dried and fresh.
Olive oil
1 Lemon
1 large onion
1 tsp. granulated garlic
Freshly ground pepper
1 tbl. salt
Rub the salt into the cavity of the chicken. Generously sprinkle ground pepper, garlic and dried herbs into the cavity. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice of the lemon into the cavity. Now, place the squeezed lemon (only one half may fit) into the cavity along with an onion quartered. Rub olive oil over the chicken. Lift the skin up and tuck fresh herbs under it. You can not be too generous with your herbs.
Place the chicken breast side down (allows for moist breast meat) in a roasting pan. Tightly cover with foil. Bake at 325 degrees for about 2 hours. Remove the foil for the last 45 minutes of baking to allow the skin to brown nicely. I prefer baking the chicken at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. Instant-read thermometers can be used to test the temperature of the chicken.
The temperature should read 170 - 180 degrees. The liquid should run clear when it is done.Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before carving.
“Dining is and always was a great artistic opportunity.” - Frank Lloyd Wright
I can hardly believe that a mother of nine children cooks and thinks in such elegant ways. This really blows the “I’m too busy too cook” theory out of the water. If you can do it, anyone can.
I also really like the reference to literature in each post. Your talents are a little under-valued here in the blogosphere, but I think your day is coming.
Happy Tuesday.. Oh, and could you make me dinner for tonight? Just joking.
Definitely making this - this week! Thanks for the recipe and tips.
I’ll give feedback.
Organizing Mommy,
Sure, come on over . . . dinner’s at 7:00.
Kathy,
I’m looking forward to hearing how it works for you!
That sounds so delicious. I have a chicken, and a lemon. I don’t have any fresh herbs, though, for tucking under the skin. What do you do if you only have dried herbs? Do you still get them under there somehow?
Mrs. Parunak,
Dried herbs will work under the skin as well. Just lift the skin and spinkle the herbs. Enjoy! Let me know how it turns out.
The purple thing is an ottoman. Yes, I did make/ upholster it.