One of my closest baseball friends, Rachel Weiland, got traded to the Astros with her husband this past off season. I was devastated not to see her anymore, but we do a pretty fantastic job of talking or texting almost everyday. She started a blog right after I started mine, so we talk about her specialty- beauty and cosmetics*- and my specialty- food. One of our favorite food topics is how much we both dislike chicken. It’s almost always dry and overcooked in restaurants, and it’s easy to fall into a pattern of doing the same routine things over and over at home. So, Rachel, this is for you!
This chicken takes some time to marinate overnight, but the result is worth it. The citrus in the lemons breaks down the proteins in the chicken during the marinating, resulting in succulently tender chicken. The lemons themselves melt while cooking and turn sweet; almost the consistency of a preserved lemon. The rosemary and thyme give it an earthy element and the garlic balances out the opposing flavors to make it all savory. The perfect roasted chicken.
Makes: 4-6 servings
Prep Time: 6-8 hours Cooking Time: 80 minutes
1- 4 lb chicken
3 lemons
3 tbs fresh rosemary, minced
3 tbs fresh thyme, minced
6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and freshly cracked pepper
- Thinly slice two of the lemons. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, herbs and garlic.
- Rinse the chicken and place onto a steady cutting board. With your hands, start to peel back the skin from the chicken near the neck while doing your best to keep it from ripping. Move down the breast and near the thighs. Rub the meat under the skin with the oil and herb mix, and then gently place a layer of lemons under the skin. You will be able to see the lemons, and do your best to squeeze as many as you can on the legs and breast meat.
- Cut the third lemon in half and place in the cavity of the chicken.
- Rub the remaining oil on the outside of the chicken (both sides) and season well with salt and pepper (also both sides).
- Cover in plastic wrap or in a large bag and refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Truss the chicken by using twine to tie the legs together and pressing the leg bones into the breast. If you don’t know how to truss a chicken, here is a great link to guide you: http://www.chow.com/food-news/53715/how-to-truss-a-chicken/
- Place the chicken on a roasting rack and bake for 30 minutes. When the skin is crispy, reduce to 375 degrees and bake another 40 or so minutes. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature near the thigh joint and in the center of the breast. It should register 155-160 degrees.
- Remove the chicken from the oven, cover with foil, and rest for about 10 minutes.
- Carve the chicken and serve with the lemons.
** For excellent tips in makeup, visit http://www.glowofgrace.com
Cooking In Red Socks 