Classic Roast Lemon Chicken

On quiet afternoons at work, in the last hour before closing, my coworkers and I can become rather antsy. Especially when the weather outside is gorgeous, begging you to ditch the heels and go frolic in the warm sunshine! Hours spent at our desks in the windowless office leads to bouts of restlessness, thus resulting in a small herd of designers flocking to the showroom TV set to HGTV. The best cure for this stir-craziness: "House Hunters International". We will "ooh" and "ahh" over the sandy beach-front villas, the Paris flats overlooking cobblestone streets leading to the neighborhood boucherie, and the centuries old Italian farmhouses with heaps of character in need of a little TLC.

Two of the programs this past week visited small villages in France. Places where the local cuisine features uncomplicated dishes that are all about highlighting the main food, not masking the flavor with heavy sauces and a dozen different spices. The little chef in my head instantly began yearning for something simple, rustic and perfect for the beginning of these brief bouts of clear weather in the Willamette Valley. This led to the decision to reintroduce myself with "le poulet". The tricky bit of poultry that wasn't cute when living, and especially isn't now that it's completely bare, requiring exact cooking to ensure moist, fully-cooked meat with crisp, golden skin. No matter how closely I would follow recipes, constantly poking and prodding with the thermometer, trying to see if the juices were "running clear" from the thighs, these birdies always ended up needing more cook time and were way too much of a pain.

The America's Test Kitchen TV Show cookbook has a simple recipe for roast chicken that I was willing to give a shot. This book has not let me down yet! Start with brining the chicken to encourage that extra juiciness while it cooks. The butter gives the skin that crispy, I-don't-care-how-caloric-it-is goodness. The fresh lemon wedges scent the chicken with a brightness that doesn't overpower the dish, allowing fresh spring vegetables to shine alongside. Sauteed asparagus with lemon zest along with sour cream and chive smashed potatoes were the perfect accompaniments. Leftovers are perfect additions for salads, homemade pizzas, stir-fry dishes, etc. Enjoy!


Classic Roast Lemon Chicken

1/2 cup table salt
1 (3.5 to 4-pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded
2 lemons
6 medium garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons melted and 2 tablespoons
chilled and cut into 2 pieces
Ground black pepper
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

1. Dissolve salt in 2 quarts cold water in a large container. Submerge chicken in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove chicken, rinse well, and pat dry with paper towels.


2. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position; heat oven to 375-degrees. Spray a V-rack with vegetable oil spray and set in roasting pan.

3. Cut 1 lemon lengthwise into quarters. Place lemon quarters and garlic into the chicken cavity. Brush the breast side of the chicken with 1 tablespoon melted butter and season generously with pepper. Place the chicken, breast side down, in the V-rack, then brush the back with the remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter and season generously with pepper.


4. Roast the chicken 40 minutes. Remove roasting pan from the oven; increase temp to 450-degrees. Using two large wads of paper towels, flip the chicken to breast side up; add 1 cup of chicken broth to the pan. Return the pan to the oven and continue roasting until the thickest part of the breast registers 160 to 165-degrees and the thickest part of the thigh registers 175-degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 35 to 40 minutes longer. Remove pan from oven; tip the V-rack to let the juices from the chicken cavity run into the roasting pan. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let rest, covered, while making the sauce. Remove the V-rack from the roasting pan.


5. Adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the broiler. Skim the fat from the drippings in the roasting pan, add the remaining 3/4 cup chicken broth, and set the roasting pan on a burner over high heat (I transferred mine to a large saute pan). Simmer the liquid, scraping the pan bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits, until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 4 minutes; set aside off the heat.


6. Discard the lemons and garlic from the cavity. Cut the chicken into pieces (breasts, thighs, legs, wings). Pour the accumulated chicken juices into the roasting pan, then place the chicken quarters, skin side up, into the sauce in the roasting pan; broil the chicken until the skin is crisp and deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter.

7. Halve the remaining lemon lengthwise; squeeze the juice of one half into the roasting pan; cut the remaining half into four wedges and set aside. Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons butter into the sauce until combined; stir in the parsley and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the chicken with the pan sauce and lemon wedges. *Note: Sauce is to-die-for over the sour cream and chive smashed potatoes. It's highly recommended.