Roast Chicken

I love to make this when I have a bit of extra time – it’s great with veggies added to the pan to make a full meal. Then, you have some leftover chicken (if you’re not feeding more than a couple of people) to use the next day. This process includes brining, which makes the bird nice and juicy, and turning the chicken a couple of times in the roasting plan so the breasts and legs are evenly roasted.

Takes about 2 hours Serves 2-3

• 1 whole good quality whole chicken (about 3 lbs)
• 1/2 cup of salt
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• Quartered lemon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Herbs, such as thyme, sage, rosemary…
• Carrots and potatoes – a few of each – Chopped

• Brine the chicken – dissolve salt and sugar in 2 quarts of cold water in a large container. Submerge the chicken in the brine; cover, and refrigerate for about 1 hour. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry, in and out, with paper towels.
• Adjust the oven rack to the lower 1/3 of the oven. Place the roasting pan in the oven on the rack, and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat the V-rack for the pan with cooking spray and set aside.
• Use your fingers to gently loosen the center portion of skin covering each breast; place butter under the skin, directly on the meat in the center of each breast. Gently press on skin to distribute the butter over the meat. Rub the skin with oil, stuff the lemon quarters in the cavity of the bird, season with salt and pepper and place the chicken wing side up (on it’s side) on the V-rack in the pre-heated roasting pan and roast for 15 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven and using two pieces of paper towel, lift the chicken so the other side (opposite wing side) is facing up. Return the roasting pan to the oven and roast for 15 minutes.

• Remove the pan from the oven again and add your cut up veggies on the bottom of the pan and chopped herbs to the top of the chicken.

• Roast for an additional 30 minutes, plus or minus, until the chicken is fully cooked, is lightly browned and registers about 160 degrees in the breast and 170 degrees in the thigh.
• Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside for about 10 minutes. Continue to roast the veggies, if needed. Enjoy!

Recipe inspired by Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook