Roast Chicken with Lemon & Rosemary

My house smelled sooooo good last night!

Not from a candle or the summer breeze.

It was my Lemon Rosemary Roast Chicken sending mouth watering wafts through the air.

Wish this picture was scratch & sniff !

Truly….Emmett & the rest of the crew were licking their chops as it roasted.

Don't tell them, but this couldn't be easier to prepare.  I did take a bit more time with the garnish for you, but even with that this recipe is too easy to be this delicious.

The key is sealing in the juices. Let me explain...

Lemon Rosemary Roast Chicken

What you need:

Ingredients

• one or two 6 -8 lb whole chickens
• 4 lemons
• a head of garlic sectioned & peeled
• 2 bunches of fresh rosemary
• salt & pepper
• 2 - 4 sweet onions quartered (optional)

What you need to do:

Steps

• pre heat oven to roast @ 425 degrees

• score two lemons with 5 deep cuts all around the fruit

• slice one lemon for the top of the chicken(s) & save the other for garnish

• separate & peel the garlic

• quarter the onion(s)

• wash the rosemary sprigs - saving some for garnish

• rinse off & empty out cavity of the chicken(s)

• put chicken(s) in a roasting pan

• insert a scored lemon, several cloves of garlic & sprigs of rosemary into each chicken

• sprinkle chicken(s) with salt & pepper

This all takes about 10 minutes

• put chicken(s) in the 425 degree oven with open cavity facing inward

• roast at 425 for about 20 minutes - just until golden brown

       (there ~ you just sealed in all that juicy flavor)

• reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees

• now scatter onions around the chicken(s) & place three slices of lemon on top

• roast for another 25 minutes or so depending on the weight

• test by poking with a sharp knife if juices run clear your chicken(s) are done

• remove from oven & let sit for about 8 minutes - carve & serve

Serve with an Israeli couscous or an orzo feta cheese pasta & you have one fabulous summer dinner.

I made an easy orzo feta pasta.  Boiled the pasta, added a half cup pan juices to the cooked pasta, tossed in crumbled feta cheese & sprinkled with sea salt.

In addition to the dinner, this recipe delivered two pints of pan juices to use as chicken stock & two wishbones!

Do you remove the wish bone?  My girls still like to make wishes on them.  

Here is wishing you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

** Kelly **