Lemon Herb Roast Chicken Recipes

LEMON-HERB-ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Rearrange oven racks so that the bird can be placed in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
• Discard giblets (and any other foreign objects) that you find inside the bird. Rinse bird under cold water, then pat dry. Rub generously with salt, inside and out.
• In a small bowl, blend butter, pepper, rosemary, garlic and lemon zest. Rub the butter mixture all over the birds. Use your fingers to separate the skin from the breast meat and slide some of the mixture underneath the skin. Cross the legs and bind with twine.
• Place potatoes, cut side down in a large shallow roasting pan, or some facsimile. Perch bird atop potatoes. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove to baste and squeeze juice of 1/2 lemon overtop. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees F. Roast for 60 more minutes, or until the juices of the thigh meat run clear when pricked. If bird begins to burn on top, cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil.
• Squeeze other lemon 1/2 overtop, then cover tightly with aluminum foil, and let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving (this locks in the juices).

ROASTED LEMON-HERB CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Generously salt and pepper the inside cavity of the chicken, and add 4 rosemary sprigs, thyme, garlic, and half of the lemon. Slice the remaining lemon half into thin slices and slide them under the exterior skin of the chicken breasts. Take the remaining 2 rosemary sprigs and slide them down along each side of the breast bone under the skin. Tuck the wings back and under the chicken and tie the legs together for even cooking.
• Place the chicken, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan and brush the top and sides with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Roast chicken in the oven, basting with drippings at least once, until juices run clear and leg bone easily pulls away from the meat, about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Remove chicken from oven and cover with foil. Allow to rest for juices to redistribute, at least 15 minutes.
• Carve the chicken and place on serving platter.

LEMON-HERB ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pat the chickens very dry with paper towels. Season inside the cavities with salt and pepper. Combine the butter, lemon zest, parsley, chervil, chives, tarragon, 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper in a mini food processor; pulse until almost smooth. Gently loosen the skin on the chicken breasts and thighs with your fingers. Rub half of the herb butter evenly under the skin of both chickens, then rub the remaining herb butter all over the chickens. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 30 minutes to dry out the skin.
• About 30 minutes before roasting, bring the chickens to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Stuff the lemon quarters into the chicken cavities. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wings under the body. Arrange the chickens breast-side up on a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet or in a shallow roasting pan, leaving a bit of space between them; scatter the lemon wedges on the rack around the chickens.
• Roast until the breasts and tops of the legs are golden, about 30 minutes. Rotate the pan and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue roasting until the skin is golden and crisp all over and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F, 40 to 50 more minutes.
• Remove the chickens from the oven; let rest 15 minutes in the pan. Remove the twine and carve the chickens (see below); serve with the roasted lemon wedges.

LEMON HERB ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a roasting pan with a rack, set aside. Rub chicken all over with garlic and then with 2 tablespoons butter. Season inside and out with salt and pepper. Place garlic cloves and lemon pieces inside the cavity. Tie legs together with kitchen twine.
• Place chicken on rack in prepared pan and tuck the wing tips under. Roast until the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer chicken to a platter, and discard twine. Keep warm.
• Place roasting pan on the stove over medium-high heat, and stir in the wine, thyme, and any accumulated juices from the platter. Bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon; cook until sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. If desired, stir in 1 tablespoon butter. Pass through a fine mesh sieve. Serve sauce with the chicken.

ROASTED LEMON HERB CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine the seasoning, salt, mustard powder, garlic powder and black pepper; set aside. Rinse the chicken thoroughly, and remove the giblets. Place chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons of the spice mixture inside the chicken. Rub the remaining mixture on the outside of the chicken.
• Squeeze the juice of the 2 lemons into a small bowl or cup, and mix with the olive oil. Drizzle this oil/juice mixture over the chicken.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until juices run clear, basting several times with the remaining oil mixture.