Oven Roasted Chicken

Besides baking, I bought an oven 3 years ago with the intention to use it to for roasting. However, it took me much longer before I attempted to roast a whole chicken! I used to think that it must be a very mind boggling task to roast a chicken, mainly because I am not familiar with herbs and spices. I am glad that I have since uncovered my myth about roasting and even learned a thing or two about cooking with herbs. Ever since the first trial, this Roast Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary has became a regular dish on our dinning table.


I adapted several recipes, although I followed quite closely to Jamie Oliver's version, and came up with one that uses ingredients which I always have on hand or are readily available from the supermarket shelves. Even though I would prefer to use fresh rosemary, on several occasions I have replaced it with dried ones, it works just as fine.


I love any kind of potatoes. So, I will not miss the chance to roast some potatoes alongside the chicken. I have experimented with Russet potatoes as well as the usual yellow potatoes commonly available at the local wet markets. Both taste great to me, but if you like very fluffy potatoes, then go for Russets. The potatoes are first boiled with a whole lemon till they are tender. They are then tossed with some simple seasonings before layering them in a roasting pan. This layer of potatoes also serves as a 'rack' for the chicken. The hot lemon is stabbed several times before it goes inside the cavity of the chicken.

The roasting time can be pretty long, my oven usually takes at least 90 mins or longer before the chicken is done. I shouldn't be complaining as I pretty much enjoy the aroma created by a chicken roasting in the oven...which is infused with the fragrant lemon-pine flavour of the rosemary and a subtle presence of lemon. This roast chicken is full of flavours, deliciously tender and juicy, even the breast meat tastes good to me. The best part has to be the crackly crispy skin, which my elder one would always save for the last ;)


Lemon and Rosemary Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

1 medium-size chicken
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
2 teaspoons freshly grounded black pepper
1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
2 teaspoons fresh, finely chopped rosemary (or use 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)
1/2 kg potatoes
1 lemon

Method:

Grate zest of the lemon in a bowl. Add salt, pepper, mixed herbs, rosemary and mix well. Set aside.

Wash, clean and pat the chicken dry (very dry) with paper towels all over, including the cavity. Rub the seasoning mixture over the chicken and inside the cavity. With fingertips, gently separate the skin from the meat of the chicken breast and push some seasoning mixture under the skin. Leave the chicken to marinate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

Remove chicken from fridge and let it rest in room temperature for at least 30 mins so that it will cook evenly. Brush melted butter (or olive oil) all over the chicken.

Peel and cut the potatoes into halves or quarters. Put them into a pot of water with a pinch of salt together with the whole lemon. Bring to a boil and continue to cook for about 10 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for 1 minute. Return the potatoes to the same pot. Toss the potatoes with some salt, freshly grounded black pepper and a little olive oil. Do this while the potatoes are still hot so their outsides get chuffed up and fluffy.

While the lemon is still hot, carefully pierce it with the tip of a sharp knife about 10 times. Stuff the lemon inside the cavity of the chicken.

Put the potatoes in a roasting pan. Tuck the wings underneath the chicken and place it breast side up, on the potatoes. Cook in preheated oven at 200 degC for around 40 - 45 minutes or until the skin is nicely browned. Turn the chicken over and roast for a further 30 minutes or until the skin is browned. Turn the chicken breast side up again and roast for another 10 - 15 mins until the chicken is done and the potatoes are nice and golden. To test whether the chicken is done, pierce the tip of a knife near the joint between the drumstick and the thigh. The juices should run clear (not pink), if it is still pink, cook the chicken a little longer. Carefully remove the lemon from the cavity. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving. This allows the juices to settle and the chicken will be much more succulent.