Perfectroastedchickenwithfreshherbslemon Recipes

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND FRESH HERBS

Steps:

• Please note you won't use the entire bunches of both herbs, but you do need a fair amount.
• Preheat oven to 400°F, have ready a shallow roasting pan.
• Cut the potatoes, sweet potatoes and parsnips into chunks about one-inch square.
• Place the potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, two onions (peeled and quartered) and 4 of the garlic cloves in the shallow roasting pan; sprinkle generously with coarse (kosher) salt and freshly ground black pepper, then drizzle with a few teaspoons of olive oil; toss with your hands to coat all the veggies.
• Nestle one sprig of fresh rosemary and one sprig of thyme into the veggies, then set pan aside.
• On a cutting board, quarter one of the lemons (unpeeled) into wedges, slice the remaining 2 garlic cloves in half (leave skins on), then place the remaining onion quarters beside them, along with several sprigs of fresh rosemary and fresh thyme; sprinkle these items generously with salt and pepper.
• Traditionally, you salt and pepper the inside of a chicken to be roasted; I find this very awkward to do so I salt and pepper what I'm going to stuff inside the bird, instead.
• Now stuff all into the cavity of the chicken and then truss (tie up with kitchen string) the bird, if desired (it's not necessary); my grocery store sells birds already trussed so I just have to slip the tips of the drumsticks out from the under the string then tuck them back in when I'm done.
• Place chicken atop the vegetables in the roasting pan.
• Juice the remaining lemon; chop up some fresh rosemary and fresh thyme.
• Rub the juice all over the chicken, then drizzle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over the bird; sprinkle with the fresh herbs, then the paprika, then the salt and pepper.
• Roast in preheated oven for 40 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375°F and continue to roast another 30 minutes or so, until the juices around the thigh run clear; a smaller bird may only take another 20 minutes, while a larger bird could require another 40 minutes.
• When chicken is done, remove it to a cutting board and cover with a tent of foil to keep warm; let chicken sit for 15 minutes before carving.
• While chicken is resting, give the veggies a good stir in the roasting pan (there will be lots of flavourful chicken juices in the pan) and return to oven.
• After chicken has rested, carve bird, place on platter, remove veggies from oven, and serve.
• This smells incredible as it roasts, so expect the folks at your dinner table to be extremely eager to dig in!

LEMON HERB ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Remove giblets and excess fat from the chicken cavity. Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels. Season chicken cavity with salt and pepper, to taste. Place chicken, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan; tie drumsticks together with kitchen twine; set aside. In a small bowl, combine butter, rosemary, thyme, parsley, garlic and lemon zest; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Using your fingers, carefully loosen the skin from the breast meat, spreading half of the butter mixture under the skin. Secure skin over the butter with wooden picks. Spread remaining half of the butter mixture over the chicken; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place into oven and roast until the chicken is golden brown and completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 1 hour. Let rest 10-15 minutes. Serve immediately.

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.

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.