Whole Roast Chicken

Preheat oven to 425F (use the middle rack)

Place potatoes, onions, carrots in a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon rosemary leaves, all the lemon zest, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place these in a large ovenproof skillet 12-14 inches wide, or a braiser, shallow baking dish, or rimmed sheet pan.

Cut the garlic in half and place one half, open side down, in the skillet with the veggies. nestle in one half of the lemon, open side down, in the skillet.

Pat the chicken dry, and remove any innards (reach inside the neck of the cavity with your hand and remove). Season the insides and the backside with salt and pepper, then place the breast side up on top of the veggies. Stuff the cavity (from the bottom) with the other garlic half, lemon half, and 6-7 rosemary sprigs. Add a sprig in the neck cavity. Cut the skin between the leg and the side so the legs splay open. (See photo). Or feel free to tie the legs up. Drizzle the top of the bird, including the legs and wings, with olive oil, and rub it in evenly with your fingers if you like. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, getting all the nooks and crannies, wings, inner and outer legs, and thighs.

Place on the middle rack uncovered for 50-60 minutes, rotating halfway through if needed. Use a kitchen thermometer, cook until chicken thighs reach 170-175 F and breasts reach 160 F. The nice thing about this recipe is that it will happen at roughly the same time. Meat should be opaque and juices should run clear, not pink. If you are using a bigger chicken, then it will take longer. Plan 15 mins per pound-ish (for a room-temperature chicken). Always check the temp.

Rest the chicken for 15 minutes before cutting- this locks in the moisture, keeping the flesh tender and juicy. If you cut into it too early, all the juices will run out.

In our house of two, this is how we like to serve it: We’ll carve off the breasts or legs and serve with the roasted veggies and salad. Then, while we are eating, I’ll flip the chicken over and broil the back side- this is optional.

Turn the bird over and place it back in the oven, under the broiler (still on the middle rack) to get the backsides crispy for 4-5 minutes. By the time Brian is ready for seconds, the legs, thigh, and backside are now nice and crispy. To me, there is nothing worse than gelatinous skin. So crisp that backside up.