Sara: Roast chicken should be an everyday meal, it is easy to prepare and the golden bird with juicy meat also has a wonderful taste. Spreading butter underneath the skin makes it very crispy and the herb adds a wonderful aroma. Add vegetables such as potatoes, yam, bell peppers and mushroom to your roasting pan in the last half an hour to have tasty sides as well.
Main Ingredients:
Whole Chicken : about 2 Kg (4-5 lb)
Butter: 3 tbsp ( room temperature)
Tomato: 1 large
Lemon : 1 large
Garlic: 3 cloves
Onion: 1 large
Rosemary : 1 tsp dried or 2 tsp fresh ( Thyme also works well)
Lemon Juice: 1/2 Cup
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Clean the chicken and remove any extra from cavity of the chicken.
2. Slice the onion and mince the garlic.
3.Place the chicken in a big zip-top plastic bag and pour the onion, garlic and lemon juice and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
4. Remove the chicken, cut lemon and tomato in two wedges. Sprinkle salt inside the cavity and then stuff the lemon and tomato wedges inside the chicken cavity.
5. Slide fingers under skin of breast and upper part of legs, loosening skin. Spread butter and rosemary under skin on breast and upper leg meat. Tuck wings underneath bird.
6. Preheat the oven to 350F. Roast the chicken uncovered about an hour and half, until a thermometer inserted into chicken thigh reads 180F.
7. Remove cooked chicken and cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Hi hasolkid, Yes I have always made this recipe without covering the chicken. This way chicken keeps all its moisture inside. What temp. did you use? You should put the chicken in the middle oven rack and broiler should be off too. If with all this, you should still feel that the chicken needs more time in oven while the skin is done, just cover the chicken but not the whole dish, otherwise the chicken will release all its flavors. Hope this helps
Anita, Guest from: Penticton
2008 Nov 08
This recipe has omitted the temperature to cook the chicken at..
PR, Guest
2008 Nov 16
Step 6: Preheat oven to 350... what part of the temperature are people not getting here?
Ildi, Guest from: Mississauga, Ontario
2008 Nov 30
I just loved it, easy to make and the flavour was just delicious.
Smartone, Guest
2009 Oct 17
Hey Jeff... read much... 350 was the temp. I mean, you don't pre-heat and then turn the heat down do you?
Judyboots, Guest from: Canada
2010 Jan 15
What does one do with the onions and and garlicafter marinating the chicken? It looks like they don't get stuffed into the cavity with the lemon and tomatoes....
Louise Maas, Guest from: Brampton,Ont
2010 Jan 19
Tried this recipe tonight. Very moist and tasty.Whole family approvedWill definitely cook again
