Roasted Chicken with Lemon, Garlic and Rosemary

Roasted Chicken with Lemon, Garlic and Rosemary

We had lots of the couscous chickpea salad leftover from yesterday, so I decided to stick with Mediterranean flavors and roast a chicken with lemon, garlic and rosemary for tonight. (The couscous salad was even better the second day because the flavors married, by the way.)

Anyway, I usually roast a chicken with a lemon inside every Spring.  It's very simple.  Very moist, and tasty. 

You need a chicken, a lemon, a head of garlic, chicken broth and ground pepper. Today I added rosemary because I had plenty on hand from giving the rosemary plant its Spring haircut.

I don't remember exactly when I learned to roast a chicken this way.   I shared the recipe in the Hall family cookbook back when Christine compiled it, and that was a long time ago.  Christine deserves mucho credit for making the first family cookbook, long before blogs, and easy editing.  She cut and pasted and copied one for each family member.  It was tedious and hard work. 

Everyday Garlic Chicken
Serves 4
1 whole chicken (about 3 pounds)
1 whole lemon, pricked several times
24 cloves of garlic, peeled
3 cups of chicken broth
freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Wash the chicken and pat it dry inside and out.  Place a lemon, pricked with a fork, in the cavity and place the chicken in a small roasting pan.

Cut one clove of garlic in half and rub over the breast skin.  Generously pepper the skin, if you like pepper.  Otherwise, wait and pepper it near the end.  Tuck a few sprigs of rosemary in the cavity too, if desired.

Place the chicken in the oven and bake for 20 minutes;

add 1.5 cups of broth and bake another 20 minutes.

Reduce heat to 375  degrees, add remaining broth and garlic,

and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, basting every 10  minutes.

It will brown nicely on top.  And be super moist inside.  The lemon and garlic and rosemary won't be overpowering.

Remove chicken from the pan and place it on a platter, breast side down, to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.  Cover with foil to keep it warm. 

Meanwhile, pour collected juices in to a fat-skimming cup and defat. 

With a fork, mash the garlic. 

Place the garlic and defatted juices back in the roasting pan. 

Over medium heat, reduce the liquid by half, stirring frequently.   Strain if you desire a smoother sauce.

Carve the chicken and pass the sauce at the table.