Lemon and Garlic Roasted Chicken

You know, my job puts me in contact with a lot of appalling things. I won’t go into detail, as this blog is supposed to make you hungry, but let’s just say I have a stomach of steel. But for some reason, pulling the innards out of the chicken makes me shriek like a school girl. I know, it’s odd.

Removal of chicken innards aside, I LOVE this recipe. It is a great meal for a cold winter night. And, after you’ve picked the meat off the chicken, consolidate the bones and any leftover skin or innards in a big pot of water, bring to a boil, then simmer for several hours to make a delicious stock. I like to freeze my chicken stock in 1 or 2 cup-sized tupperware, and defrost as I need it.

One thing I don’t like about roasting chicken over a long period of time in a dutch oven or crock pot is that it cooks in its own fat. Most people like this, but its too rich for me. I mean, I love fat, but to me, this dish is meant to taste like its on the lighter side. Here’s what I do to lighten up the dish: I place three large carrots in the bottom of the pot, then place the raw chicken on top of that. The carrots suspend the chicken above the level of the fat drippings. The taste is lighter and, to me, better. Just a personal preference. Additionally, cooking the chicken with the lid on locks in moisture, so your chicken will not be browned, but it will be extremely tender and moist. Cook the chicken with the lid off if you’d like it browned and crispy but drier.

I highly encourage you to try this recipe. And I assure you that using the whole chicken and then making stock out of the bones will awaken in you a pioneer spirit. In addition to, you know, being delicious AND frugal.

LEMON AND GARLIC ROASTED CHICKEN (adapted from Ina Garten’s Tuscan Lemon Chicken)

Ingredients

1 (3-4 lb) whole chicken

Kosher salt

1/3 cup olive oil

Zest of 2 lemons

Juice of 2 lemons

5 cloves chopped garlic

1 tablespoon minced, fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon Black Pepper

Recipe

Remove innards from chicken. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Rub salt on chicken skin. Combine olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and black pepper in a bowl. Stuff the squeezed and zested lemons into the chicken cavity. Truss chicken (I recommend this video if you’ve never done this). Marinate in the refrigerator 4 hours. Cook in dutch oven with lid on for about 20 minutes per pound of chicken. Meat thermometer should register 165 degrees when chicken is done. Serves about one person per pound.

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