Roll-up your sleeves! Roasting a chicken requires getting your hands a little dirty, but the end result is worth it. I remember the first time I roasted a chicken. I bought a 3 lb fryer chicken and brought it back to my teeny first apartment to prepare it for dinner. As soon as I took the plastic wrap off I realized the bird I bought still had all of it’s organs inside (usually they put them in a neat little bag you just pull out)! The next few minutes were a combination of working up the courage to stick my hand in, trying not to freak out once I started pulling the slippery little organs out, and doing my best not to look at them. Let me tell you, I felt so accomplished and grown-up afterwards! So, here’s to getting messy in the kitchen!
Roast Chicken with Lemon & Garlic Serves: 3
Ingredients:
- 4-5 lb fryer chicken
- 2 lemons
- 7-8 cloves of garlic
- 2 yellow onions, peeled and thickly sliced
- salt and pepper (freshly ground if you have it)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for the chicken
- 1 cup of chicken stock (I buy the kind in the carton)
- 2 tablespoons of flour
Tip: Use a plastic grocery bag to keep the chicken juices from going everywhere. I set the chicken in the bag and take the plastic wrap off of it. Then, I transfer it onto a cutting board to season and stuff. All the juices and giblets stay in the bag. Easy clean-up!
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Cut the lemons into quarters. Then, peel and slice the onions and put them into a medium bowl. Put 6 lemon slices in the bowl with the onions. Toss the lemons and onions with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Set aside.
- Now, for the chicken. Remove and throw away the giblets. Place the two remaining slices of lemon and all the garlic cloves inside the chicken cavity. Pat the outside of the chicken dry with a paper towel. Then, rub the outside of the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tuck the wings tips under the chicken. Put the chicken in a small ( I used 11 x 14) roasting pan. Pour the onion mixture closely around the chicken (the lemons and onions will burn if they are too spread out). Roast for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. The juices should run clear and the temperature inside the thickest part of the leg should register 165 degrees. Carefully, move the chicken from the pan to a platter. Cover with aluminum foil and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Almost done! Spoon the juices and onions from the pan into a nonstick skillet. Heat over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add 1/2 cup of the chicken stock (from the carton) along with 2 tablespoons of flour to the pan. Whisk until the flour is blended in. Add more chicken stock if you want to the gravy thinner.
- Carve the chicken. Serve slices topped with the gravy. Enjoy!
There are two more reasons why I love a good roast chicken. One, it doesn’t cost a lot. This chicken was only $0.69 a pound! Two, I have enough chicken left over to make a chicken pot pie tomorrow night. How’s that for two meals in one?
Showing no fear in the kitchen,
The Southern Bee
*This recipe was adapted from Ina Garten’s cookbook, How Easy is That?
