Simply Roast Chicken

(*Prep time: 20 minutes; Cook time: 1 hr and 30 min.)

Not only do the boys love this dish, but this golden delicious bird is the gift that keeps on giving or the dinner that keeps on dinnering.  Tonight we feasted on chicken with warm tortillas, pico de gallo, grated cheddar and corn on the cob...tomorrow, I'll shred the left over meat and serve up some homemade taquitos with Spanish rice and guacamole!  And if I really have it together (no guarantees), I'll make some stock for an Italian stew.  We'll see where we're at with life on Sunday--it might be a frozen pizza.

First, locate an 8 x 8 glass baking or corning ware dish. 

Get the salt ready.  We're going to be massaging this chicken and our hands will get dirty, so it's best to have salt standing by in a small bowl accessible for double dipping.

Then go for a short stroll in the beautiful morning sun and pop in at your friend's house.  Have a short, pleasant chat with her and pick some lemons together.  Or, you know, go for a short drive in the beautiful morning sun an pop into the store and buy a few.  Either way, we need lemons.

O.k. Let's get down to business.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

And here is our pretty roaster. A roaster is a chicken between 3 1/2 and 7 lbs., about 8 months old and has a higher fat content than a fryer.  More fat, more flavor.  Now don't wig out, this is all in relative chicken terms.  Rinse it inside and out.

Pat it dry.

Start the chicken on its oil rub down.  I use techniques I gleaned from a past infant massage class.  Works like a charm.  Rub oil all over the skin--top and sides.  Use your fingers to scissor under the skin, stand the chicken on its neck end and pour oil underneath the skin. 

Using sea salt, we're gonna sorta brine the chicken without all that soaking in salt water stuff.  Rub salt all over the skin and under it directly onto the breast and thigh meat .
                       

                           

Cut two lemons in half.  Squeeze lemon juice all over the skin and again, underneath the skin. The acid of the lemon juice is what makes the skin of the chicken brown so nicely.

Cut a third lemon into eighths and stuff em' in.  Now our bird is ready for the oven...

in it goes, 350 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes give or take.  If you have a convection fan, turn it on.  It will circulate the warm air for even roasting and faster cooking.

When that beautiful aroma of roast chicken starts to waft through the house, go ahead and take a look.  It should be about 15 to 20 more minutes. Check for doneness clear juices by poking in between the breast and thigh. Yummy juices will trickle out.  Are they clear?  Yes?  Then it's time to come out of the oven. (160 degrees on an instant read thermometer)  Cover with foil and let the bird rest for at least 15 minutes.  By letting the bird rest, it will relax and reabsorb some of its juices.

Ring the dinner bell...it's time to eat!

RECIPE: SIMPLY ROAST CHICKEN
 *Gluten Free option
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hr & 30 minutes

• 4 - 6 lb. whole chicken (organic or free-range if possible)
• 3           lemons
• 2 - 3  T. olive oil (or as needed)
• 2 - 3 T. kosher or sea salt (or as needed)

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Locate a glass or ceramic baking dish that snugly fits the chicken.
2. PREP CHICKEN: Take the chicken out of its packaging.  Remove the neck and giblets from inside the chicken. RINSE the chicken thoroughly inside and out.  Place the chicken in baking dish and pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
3. Massage the the skin--top and sides--with roughly half of the olive oil.  Finger your way underneath the skin of the chicken, scissoring  to separate the skin from the meat.  Rub the remaining olive oil under the skin--over the breasts and thighs--and inside the cavity.
4. Massage the skin --top, sides and underneath--with the salt.  Rub a large pinch of salt in the cavity as well
5. Cut two lemons in half and douse the skin--top and sides, and along the rim of the chicken's cavity.  Stand the chicken on its end and, holding the skin open with one hand, squeeze lemon juice over the breasts and thighs underneath.
6. Set the chicken, breast side up, in the baking dish.  Cut the a third lemon into eighths and stuff them into the cavity of the chicken.
7. Roast for about 1 hour and 30 minutes (with convection on for even roasting).  Begin checking on it when you smell the chicken's roasting aroma.  
8. The chicken is finished roasting when it's juices run clear with no trace of pink.  To check juices, poke the chicken's skin with a paring knife or skewer between the thigh and breast.  Juices will spill out, they should be clear.
9. Cover the chicken with foil and let it rest and reabsorb its juices for 15 minutes.

Serving ideas: 1) Warm tortillas (corn tortillas for Gluten-free),  pico de gallo and shredded cheddar; 2) Brown rice and Italian green beans; 3) Mashed potatoes and spinach salad.