Roast Chicken With Lemon
- Total Time
- 1 hour 45 minutes plus overnight refrigeration
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1chicken, 2½ to 3½ pounds
- Fleur de sel or other medium-grained sea salt
- About 1 ounce fresh mixed herbs (sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano or other), coarsely chopped
- 1large or 2 small lemons, pierced all over with a fork
- Olive oil
- Carrots, onions, leeks, turnips or other vegetables for roasting, as desired
- ½cup chicken stock, or as needed
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Preparation
- Step 1
Working carefully to prevent tearing, loosen the skin over as much of the chicken as possible by slipping your hand under it. Rub the chicken flesh lightly with salt, and slide the herbs under the skin. (You should be able to see them through the skin.)
- Step 2
Place all the lemon in the chicken’s cavity, and cover the chicken in plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate overnight.
- Step 3
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat the bottom of a roasting pan with olive oil. Unwrap the chicken and place it breast side up in the pan, surrounded by any vegetables to be roasted. Drizzle the vegetables with oil, turning them to coat well. Roast for 20 minutes, then baste the chicken and vegetables with pan juices. If there are no juices, add ¼ cup water to the pan, scraping the bottom, and baste.
- Step 4
Reduce temperature to 325 degrees. Continue basting every 10 to 15 minutes until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced at the thigh, about 20 minutes to a pound. Roast vegetables until browned and caramelized, removing when cooked to taste.
- Step 5
Transfer the chicken to a platter and keep warm. Remove the lemon from the cavity and place in the roasting pan, mashing it a bit to release the juices. Place pan on low heat and add the chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the pan. Carve the chicken, adding any juices to the pan. Pour the hot juices into a pitcher or gravy boat. Serve the chicken and vegetables, passing the juices separately.
Private Notes
Comments
Delicious even when made with chicken parts -- I prefer thighs. Compared to Melissa Clark's fussy recipe with preserved Meyer lemons and sugar this is easy to prepare and wonderfully delicious. As the recipe says, use any combination of vegetables you like, but add the faster cooking ones later.
Delicious! While I've made many chickens with an herb-butter mixture under the skin, I have never done it with just the herbs. It still came out moist and even more flavorful. The chicken was at dry and at room temperature when put into the oven surrounded by root vegetables. I did add some water after the first 20 minutes. To make the gravy I added some wine instead of the chicken stock and smushed (and then removed) the lemon. Wonderful flavor.
I tried this with chicken parts, and it was lovely. I decided not marinade the chicken overnight with the lemon and the chicken was still juicy and full of flavor. I'd suggest squeezing the juice of the lemon onto the chicken instead of roasting it with the lemon itself. The former tends to add a little bitterness to the chicken, which kills the natural flavor of the meat.
My wife asked for "lemon chicken" and so I tried this. She is still raving about it. In addition to the herbs tucked under the skin, I sprinkled some lemon pepper seasoning and some salt and pepper on the outside of the bird before refrigerating it overnight. For veggies, I used fingerling potatoes, red pepper, red onion, and Brussels sprouts, and tucked them around the bird in a large 14" cast iron skillet. Chicken and veggies came out done at the same time, and tasted great.
Made this with a bit of garlic added to herbs and mashed in my mortar & pestle. Left in fridge for 1.5 days. Added the lemon inside an hour before cooking while chicken warmed up. • Veggies were mini potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, leftover spring onion and a shake of smoked paprika.• The gravy was heavenly. I used some nice bone broth and threw a bit more of the herbs to simmer with drippings. • my foodie family raved and leftovers were sublime heated up in skillet w hrs to
The best recipe for roasted chicken I have ever made and the gravy was magnificent!
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