A good roast chicken can sometimes be quite tricky to get right. There is nothing worse then a dried out bland tasting roast chicken, we all know what i’m talking about. This is my version of a lemon and herb roast chicken and will hopefully do the trick for you. Give it a try.
Things I’ve learned about roasting a chicken…
- As you may notice in my other chicken based recipes I always marinade my chicken in some way. Sometimes I even leave it to marinade over night. This is how you turn a bland tasting meat into something delicious.
- I always start cooking my roast chicken with a cover for the majority of the roasting process. I like to use tin foil to cover the chicken but a lid should work just fine just as long as it seals in all the juices while its roasting.
- About 3/4 through the cooking process I remove the tin foil/cover and place the chicken back into the oven with the skin exposed. Once you remove the lid you will notice that the chicken has a steamed/boiled look to it which doesn’t look very appetizing at all. However with the skin exposed for the last quarter of the roast it will start to brown and crisp up. Try it and see for yourself.
- To make the skin even crispier, once it comes out of the oven for the first time I will rub butter over the skin and if possible try and push some butter under the skin, between the meat and the actual skin. This method makes an enormous difference. At this point I season the chicken with salt and pepper. PLEASE BE CAREFUL! Something that has just come out of the oven will be piping hot so touching it with your bare hands is still quite risky. Instead of rubbing the butter on with your hands, you can use a brush. (I just hate washing butter out of a brush).
- Let the chicken rest for about 10 – 15 minutes before you carve it. This allows the meat to relax and becomes a bit more tender.
- While the chicken relaxes, so should you. Grab a glass of wine (this step is optional) and prepare for a moist, tender and delicious roast chicken.
Roast chicken
I love a good and tender roast chicken. Well this one is bursting with flavor and peels right off the bone if done correctly. Give it s try.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 1 tsp Thyme chopped
- 1 tsp Rosemary chopped
- 1 tbsp Parsley chopped
- 1 tsp Garlic minced
- ½ tsp Ginger minced
- 3 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 5 tbsp Lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp Lemon zest
- 1 tsp balsamic vinager
Roast Chicken
- 1 whole Chicken
- 1½ tbsp Butter
- ¾ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black pepper
Instructions
Marinade
- Start off by finely chopping up all the fresh herbs unless you are using dry herbs. Mince the garlic and ginger.
- In a mixing bowl add the oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, ginger, balsamic vinegar and all the chopped herbs. Mix it well
- Place the whole chicken into an oven proof dish and pour the marinade over the chicken. With your hands massage in the marinade, be sure to cover every part of the chicken. Place the lemons you cut earlier (for juice and zest) into the dish around the chicken.
- Cover the chicken with tin foil or a lid and make sure the chicken is sealed. Then let it rest in the refrigerator for 2 – 3 hours. (the resting component is optional but very important if you have the time available to you).
Roast Chicken
- Once the chicken has marinated sufficiently. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not remove the tin foil or lid before placing it in the oven. This is to help hold the steam and cook the chicken beautifully.
- Once the oven is up to temperature place the chicken into the oven and cook it for 45 minutes. Briefly take the chicken out of the oven and remove the tin foil/cover. Thoroughly rub the butter over the skin of the chicken and season it with salt and pepper (be careful not to burn yourself). Place the chicken into the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes. At this point you will need to eye ball it, so once the skin starts to bubble and turn golden brown then remove it from the oven. Be careful not to burn it at this point.
- Once removed from the oven let it rest for a 10 – 15 minutes before you start carving it.
