Lemon Herb Roast Chicken Food

LEMON & HERB ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• NOTE: This chicken does best when prepped 24 hours in advance. If that's not doable, season and chill at least 8-10 hours before cooking for crispier skin and more flavorful chicken.
• Set chicken on a clean plate then wash hands with hot soapy water. Melt butter and drizzle over the skin of the chicken and brush to distribute evenly. Season the exterior and interior cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper (as the recipe is written, about 3/4-1 Tbsp sea salt and 1-2 tsp black pepper). This sounds like a lot of salt, but there should be a generous layer of seasoning on the chicken so it flavors the meat well. (For a roughly 4 lb. chicken, we used about 1 Tbsp salt and 2 tsp black pepper total.)
• Insert the lemon and fresh rosemary into the cavity - this infuses more flavor and also makes for a more flavorful broth (if making broth afterward).
• Set the chicken in the fridge uncovered (this allows the chicken to dry out a bit, which helps it crisp more when roasting). Wait 24-36 hours (ideally) or at least 8-10 hours to cook. At this time, be sure to wash hands with hot soapy water again and clean all surfaces well to avoid spreading bacteria.
• Once you're ready to cook your chicken, preheat oven to 450 degrees F (232 C). Get out a large rimmed roasting pan or cast-iron skillet (we like this baking dish). If adding veggies (optional) add carrots and potatoes to the pan. Drizzle with a bit of oil and season well with salt and pepper. Then toss to combine.
• Arrange the veggies around the perimeter of the dish, then add the chicken (breast side up) in the center (if not baking with veggies, just place chicken in center of pan).
• Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes (UNCOVERED) or until the exterior is crispy and golden brown and the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 F (74 C). I also like to measure the breast temperature to ensure it's done in the center as well (also 165 F / 74 C). For an accurate read, be sure the thermometer is not touching bone.
• Remove from oven and let chicken rest for about 10-15 minutes before serving. This ensures the juices redistribute to keep the chicken moist.
• To slice the chicken, use a sharp knife to remove the wings and the thighs (option to cut the leg/drumstick from the thigh for easier serving portions). Then slice down either side of the breast bone and thinly slice the breasts into 1/4-inch serving portions. Use hands to carefully remove any other parts of meat from the bones. Lastly, if opting to make bone broth, save the bones (including the legs and wings after meat has been removed).
• To serve, arrange the carrots and potatoes on a serving platter and top with pieces of chicken. You will likely have a generous portion of cooking juices left over in the roasting pan, which I recommend transferring to a small dish and serving on the side to add more flavor as a lazy but delicious form of "gravy."
• Enjoy hot. Save cooled leftover meat and veggies covered in the fridge up to 2-3 days. Transfer meat up to the freezer after that and store up to 1 month (veggies won't freeze). Leftover meat can be enjoyed cold or hot (warm in the oven or microwave) on its own, or shredded and added to soup.

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 ROAST CHICKEN WITH PAN GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grate 1 1/2 teaspoons zest and squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from the lemon. Stir the lemon zest, lemon juice, soup, rosemary, thyme and garlic in a medium bowl. Reserve 1 cup soup mixture for the gravy. Place the chicken into a shallow roasting pan. Roast the chicken for 20 minutes. Brush the chicken with 1/4 cup soup mixture. Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a serving platter and keep warm. Spoon off any fat from the pan juices. Stir the wine in the roasting pan and heat over medium-high heat to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the reserved soup mixture and water and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Serve the gravy with the chicken.

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 AND HERB ROAST CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Adjust the oven rack to the top position and preheat to 450 degrees F. Toss together the potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper on a rimmed baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. Roast until the vegetables brown slightly and the potatoes just begin to soften, about 20 minutes, tossing halfway through.
• Meanwhile, rub the chicken breast skin with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and sprinkle with the poultry seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Once the vegetables begin to soften, put the chicken breasts on top and roast until the skin is golden brown and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove the chicken breasts and let them rest for a few minutes. Toss the roasted vegetables with juice from 1 of the lemon halves and the parsley. Cut the bones from the chicken breasts and slice the meat. Divide the chicken and roasted vegetables among 4 plates. Cut the remaining lemon half into wedges and serve alongside.

LEMON AND HERB ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425° and position a rack in lower third of the oven.
• In a small bowl, mix the butter with the minced garlic, minced herbs, lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.
• Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
• Rub half of the herb butter under the skin and the rest over the chicken; season with salt and pepper.
• Set the chicken breast-side-up on a rack in a roasting pan.
• Scatter the onion, lemon, garlic cloves and herb sprigs and add 1/2 cup of water to the pan.
• Roast for 30 minutes, until the breast is firm and just beginning to brown in spots.
• Using tongs, turn the chicken breast-down and roast for 20 minutes longer, until the skin is lightly browned.
• Using tongs, turn the chicken breast-side-up.
• Add another 1/2 cup of water.
• Roast for about 20 minutes longer, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the inner thigh registers 175° to 180°.
• Tilt the chicken to drain the cavity juices into the pan; transfer the bird to a cutting board.
• Remove the rack from the pan and spoon off the fat.
• Set the pan over high heat.
• Add the stock and cook, scraping up any browned bits.
• Press the lemon to release the juices.
• Carve chicken and serve with pan juices.

LEMON AND GARLIC ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the thyme, reserving enough thyme to garnish the chicken dish, 1 lemon, halved, and 2 halves of the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Cut 2 of the lemons in quarters and scatter the quarters and remaining garlic around the chicken. Lay the bacon slices over the chicken to cover.
• Roast the chicken for 1 hour. Remove the bacon slices from the top of the chicken and set aside. Continue roasting the chicken for an additional 1/2 hour, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove to a platter and cover with aluminum foil while you prepare the gravy.
• Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the bottom of the pan. Add the wine and chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until reduced by half.
• Slice the chicken on a platter. Garnish the chicken platter with the bacon slices, roasted garlic, reserved thyme and 1 lemon, sliced. Serve with the gravy.

LEMON-HERB ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine butter, rosemary, thyme, garlic and lemon peel in small bowl and stir to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Herb butter can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.)
• Preheat oven to 450°F. Rinse chicken; pat dry. Slide hand under skin of chicken breast to loosen skin form meat. Reserve 2 tablespoons herb butter for gravy. Rub half of remaining herb butter over chicken breast under skin. Spread remaining herb butter over outside of chicken. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Truss chicken to help hold shape.
• Place chicken in heavy large roasting pan. Roast 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Roast chicken until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of inner thigh registers 175°F. and juices from thigh run clear when chicken thigh is pierced with skewer, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Lift chicken and tilt slightly, emptying any juices from cavity into roasting pan. Transfer chicken to platter. Tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.
• Pour pan juices into large glass measuring cup. Spoon fat off top. Add wine to pan. Place pan over high heat; bring wine to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Pour wine mixture into cup with pan juices. Add enough broth to same cup to measure 2 1/4 cups liquid. Melt reserved 2 tablespoons herb butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour; whisk until smooth and beginning to color, about 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in pan juices. Boil until thickened to sauce consistency, whisking occasionally, about 7 minutes. Season gravy with salt and pepper. Arrange lemon and rosemary around chicken on platter. Serve with gravy.