Rosemary & Lemon Roasted Chicken

Taking a page from Marcella Hazan’s cookbook, “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking”, I set out to make the perfect roasted chicken. While I followed the basic recipe, I took some creative liberty with flavors.

What you’ll need:

3 -4 lbs. Whole Chicken

2 sprigs of Rosemary

1 medium Lemon

1 small Shallot

2 tbsp Butter or Olive Oil

Small Mixing Bowl

Kitchen Twine

Shallow Roasting Pan

Aluminum Foil

As always, when working with chicken take the necessary precautions to keep any cross contaminating to an absolute minimum.

Pre-heat oven to 375°.

Begin by washing the chicken and removing the package of gizzards. Pat dry chicken with a paper towel. Place chicken in the shallow roasting pan and set aside.

Halve the lemon and place 1 half in the cavity of the bird, squeeze the juice of the other half into the small mixing bowl. Remove the rosemary leaves from one sprig and place into the mixing bowl and the other sprig into the cavity along with 1 small halved shallot. Add to the mixing bowl salt & pepper to taste, combine thoroughly with the juice, rosemary and butter or oil. Set aside.

Gently separate the skin over the breast with your fingers, with hands or a small rubber spatula spread the butter (or oil) mixture onto the breast meat under the skin. Coat the outside of the bird with the remaining mixture. Secure the legs with the kitchen twine and fold the wings under.

Loosely cover with foil, place into the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

With a meat thermometer check the temperature of the bird by sliding it into the thickest part of the thigh. Temperature should read between 160° and 180°.

Remove the foil, then using a basting brush or spoon, bast the chicken with the juices at the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the oven and raise the temperature to 400°, cook for an additional 10 to 20 minutes until the skin is golden brown and crisp.