Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Herbs- As a chef, simplicity becomes of more central importance as time goes by. It's a common phrase in the industry that young chefs always try to focus on how much can be done to something, where as an older, wiser cook thinks of how little needs to be applied to an ingredient to help coax out it's distinctive enjoyable properties.
I've always found recipes like this one to be somewhat seminal to the process of learning to cook properly. "Season and roast a whole bird, leaving you with meat to eat, as well as leftovers to make more meals from, and the bones for stock.", what could be a more simple starting point? It is simply a springboard for more enticing creations.
This specific recipe takes full advantage of the fantastic aromatic and flavor properties that citrus and fresh herbs bring, filling your kitchen with a veritable cloud of exquisitely yummy smells. The comforting feelings that flood into my senses upon encountering this familiar environment always bring a grin to my face.
Equipment
We have listed all of the specific needs in terms of smallwares and equipment in the recipe card below, but we have a listing of all of the basic things that a serious kitchen should have in "this article"
Ingredients For Roasted Chicken With Lemon
- 1 whole chicken a least 6#
- 1 medium Yellow Onion
- 1 each lemon
- 1 tbsp fresh tarragon chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme chopped
- ½ tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- ½ tbsp fresh chives chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground fresh black pepper
Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Herbs
Equipment
- 1 oven
- 1 Roasting pan with rack
- 1 Chef Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 small pan for melting butter
- 1 kitchen probe thermometer
- 1 measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken a least 6#
- 1 medium Yellow Onion
- 1 each lemon
- 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
- ½ tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- ½ tablespoon fresh chives chopped
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground fresh black pepper
Instructions
- season the cavity of the chicken with ½ of the salt, pepper, and garlic salt
- chop the onion into large dice
- slice half of the lemon (saving the slices for later)
- squeeze the unsliced half of lemon into the chicken cavity, then place the lemon into the chicken cavity
- add the cut onion the the chicken cavity
- preheat the oven to350℉
- chop the herbs and mix together
- in a small pan melt the butter and remove from heat
- add the olive oil and herbs to the butter
- pour the butter, olive oil and herb mixture onto the chicken making sure to coat it well
- season the chicken with the remaining salt ,pepper, and garlic salt
- place the lemon slices onto the chicken breasts
- place the chicken into the oven to roast, basting occasionally with the pan juices
- after 2 hours use the kitchen probe thermometer to take a temperature at the thigh joint of the chicken
- if the temperature reads 165℉ the chicken is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes
- if the temperature does not read 165℉ then return it to the ove for the remaining 25-30 minutes or until the thermometer reads 165℉
Variations For Roasted chicken With Lemon
This preparation can be made to creatively tackle any type of tastes. If you would like to use a different citrus fruit, or different herbs, or even omit those entirely, go for it! The basic salt and pepper is all that is really indispensable, the rest is just a suggested path to take, not a requirement at all. Try stuffing the bird with carrots and celery along with the onions for a different flavor. Try using different herbs, or a spice blend to change the recipe entirely. The only thing that's important is that you enjoy!
Storage
As we were talking about earlier, this is a great meal to make based on all of the other meals that can be prepared from it. Set aside any whole pieces that you would like to re-heat as is, of course. Remove the skin and pull the meat from the bones to make chicken salad for sandwiches, casserole, soup, or pasta. Use the bones to make a delicious chicken stock. All of the above will last in the fridge, tightly sealed, for 3 to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.
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