Comfort Food Sunday

This month had been a very difficult month for me. I had a lot on my plate and one Sunday, I decided that I needed a comfort food dinner. I tried to think about what I wanted to make and remembered that my mother always used to make a great Sunday chicken dinner and thought, that's what I want...a delicious roasted chicken dinner with all the trimmings.



I will also post the rest of the meal which included roasted potatoes, breaded and fried asparagus, a little feta cheese appetizer, and fresh homemade bread, in subsequent posts.


A few years ago, I found a recipe for a lemon roasted chicken, but for the life of me I couldn't find it. I looked in a few cookbooks and saw one recipe in The Barefoot Contessa series that was close but not the one. I decided to wing it and make it up as I went. So here is my Lemon Chicken recipe.

Elise’s Roasted Lemon Chicken

What you will need for the Bird and the Pan:

6 pound roasting chicken
1 roasting pan and rack both sprayed with PAM or other non stick cooking spray
2 large pieces of cooking twine to tie the chicken
2 lemons divided as follows:

Zest the first lemon (will equal about 1 tablespoon of zest and set aside), then cut the lemon in half (remove seeds) take one half and rub it all over the chicken and insert it into the rear cavity of the chicken. Take the second half of that lemon and squeeze the juice into the larger cavity of the chicken and then insert the lemon into the cavity after you have put in the garlic cloves, and thyme Take the second lemon, cut it in half, (remove all pits) then cut each half into quarters –Scatter it in the roasting pan.

To insert into the chicken:

1 onion peeled and coarsely sliced – toss into the bottom of the roasting pan with the pieces lemons
3-4 garlic cloves peeled and left whole – insert into main cavity of chicken
2 full heads of garlic – slice off the tops and add the whole heads to the roasting pan
1-2 springs thyme– insert into main cavity of chicken
¼ -½ cup olive oil – added to the bottom of the roasting pan
Water for pan – add just enough water to prevent the oil, onions, and lemon from burning

For the paste:

1 stick unsalted butter room at temperature
1 tablespoon of lemon zest from the lemon above
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon seasoned salt
½ teaspoon dried basil

Place the butter in a dish. Add the lemon zest, paprika, garlic salt, salt, pepper, seasoned salt, and basil. Mix together with a fork until well blended.

Preheat your oven to 450º F. Spray a roasting pan with PAM. Open your chicken, remove any gizzards or chicken parts from the back and front cavity of the chicken. Rinse the chicken well. Dry the chicken off. Peel and slice your onions and place in the pan. Add the quartered halves of lemons in the pan. Place the 2 whole heads of garlic (that have been cut across the top) at either end of the pan. Add olive oil and water to the pan.

Rub the chicken with the half of the other lemon. Insert that half of the lemon in the rear cavity of the chicken. Add the cloves of garlic, thyme, and the juice from the other half of the lemon in to the main cavity of the chicken, insert the half of lemon (when you are finished squeezing it into the cavity) in to the main (front) cavity too.

Mix together with a fork until well blended. Take your fingers and gently poke under the skin of the chicken to make a pocket, on both sides of the breast. Place some of the butter into the pocket you created on each side of the breast. Use your fingers to massage and push the butter under the skin. Take the remaining butter paste and rub it all over the outside of the chicken; be sure to cover the legs and wings, and turn the bird over to get the underside of the chicken too.

Place the chicken back on it’s back, and tie the legs together with the kitchen twine. Take the second piece of twine and run it under the bottom of the bird and tie it across the whole bird to keep the wings in place. Set the chicken aside for about 1 hour before baking to allow the flavors to merge.

Place the chicken on the rack in the roasting pan and put into the preheated oven and cover with foil for about 45 minutes. It may smoke due to the butter and high heat, so keep the exhaust fan on. Remove the foil and let the chicken cook until either the timer in the bird pops (if it has one) or until a meat thermometer reaches 170 degrees. Cover loosely with foil for about 15 minutes before carving. The temperature of the bird will go up at least another 10 degrees after it is removed from the oven and it sits with the foil on it.


For the gravy (optional):

1-can (14 ounces) College Inn Chicken Broth
About 3 tablespoons of Wondra Flour
3-4 cloves of the roasted garlic, finely mashed
About 8 gravy ladles full of chicken drippings
Garlic salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
A few drops of Gravy Master

To make gravy for the chicken, I took 1 (14 ounce) can of College Inn Chicken Broth, about 3 tablespoons of Wondra flour, and mixed about ½ the can with the flour until it was smooth. I mashed up 3-4 cloves of the roasted garlic from the pan and added it to the chicken broth mix. I then added about 8 gravy ladles of drippings to the broth mix, turned the heat on and brought it to a boil. I added a few drops of Gravy Master, and then tasted it. It needed a little garlic salt and black pepper for my taste, but you can add what you like. If it is too thick, you can add a little more of the chicken broth to achieve the desired consistency. Note, the gravy may have a lemony taste for it.

This is what you will need for the recipe:


What you will need for the Bird and the Pan:

6 pound roasting chicken
1 roasting pan and rack both sprayed with PAM or other non stick cooking spray
2 large pieces of cooking twine to tie the chicken
2 lemons divided as follows:

Zest the first lemon (will equal about 1 tablespoon of zest and set aside),

then cut the lemon in half (remove seeds) set aside until directed to
take one half and rub it all over the chicken and insert it into the rear cavity of the chicken. Take the second half of that lemon and squeeze the juice into the larger cavity of the chicken and then insert the lemon into the cavity after you have put in the garlic cloves, and thyme

Take the second lemon, cut it in half, (remove all seeds)

then cut each half into quarters and set aside until directed to
scatter it in the roasting pan

To insert into the chicken:

1 onion peeled and coarsely sliced – toss into the bottom of the roasting pan with the lemons
3-4 garlic cloves peeled and left whole – insert into main cavity of chicken
2 full heads of garlic – slice off the tops and add the whole heads to the roasting pan

1-2 springs thyme– insert into main cavity of chicken
¼ -½ cup olive oil – added to the bottom of the roasting pan
Water for pan – add just enough water to prevent the oil, onions, and lemon from burning

For the paste:

1 stick unsalted butter room temperature
1 tablespoon of lemon zest from the lemon above
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon seasoned salt
½ teaspoon dried basil

Spray a roasting pan and rack with PAM
or other non-stick cooking spray

Cut two lengths of cooking twine one long
enough to go around the body of the chicken
and one to tie the legs (a shorter piece)

Preheat your oven to 450º F.


Open your chicken,

remove any gizzards or

chicken parts from the back and front cavity of the chicken


Rinse the chicken well



Dry the chicken off

Cut the top of the two heads of garlic off, about 1/2-inch from the top


Place a little (about 1/2-cup) olive oil and water (about 3/4-cup) in the bottom of the pan
(This is just to prevent the pan from burning)


Peel the onion




and slice onion roughly and place in the pan



Place the 2 whole heads of garlic (that have been cut across the top)
at either end of the pan



Add the quartered lemons in the pan


Now, rub the chicken with the half of the
lemon that you zested earlier



Insert that half of the lemon in the neck cavity of the chicken

Try to pull the skin over to keep the lemon half in place

Squeeze the other half of the lemon you zested earlier
into the main cavity

then, insert the half of lemon (when you are finished squeezing
it into the cavity) into the main (rear) cavity too


Insert the thyme


Add the whole cloves of garlic in the cavity too


Now, make your butter paste

Place the butter in a dish.


Add the lemon zest,

paprika,



garlic salt,



seasoned salt,


pepper,

salt,


and basil



Mix together with a fork

until well blended


Now, take your fingers, and gently poke under the skin



of the chicken to make a pocket, on both sides of the breast.


Place some of the butter into the pocket you created
on each side of the breast


Use your fingers to massage and push
the butter under the skin

Push it as far back under the skin as you can



Take the remaining butter paste
and rub it all over the outside of the chicken,



be sure to cover the legs and wings,




Place the chicken back in the roasting pan on it’s back,
and tie the legs together with the smaller piece of kitchen twine.
Take the second piece of twine and run it under the bottom
of the bird and tie it across the whole bird to keep the wings in place.



then, turn the bird over to get the underside of the chicken too.


Set the chicken aside for about 1 hour before baking to allow the flavors to merge.


Place the chicken into the preheated oven and cover with foil for about 45 minutes. It may smoke due to the butter and high heat, so keep the exhaust fan on. Remove the foil and let the chicken cook until either the timer in the bird pops (if it has one) or until a meat thermometer reaches 170 degrees. Cover loosely with foil for about 15 minutes before carving. The temperature of the bird will go up at least another 10 degrees after it is removed from the oven and it sits with the foil on it.

For the gravy (optional):

Roasted Lemon Chicken Gravy:

1-can (14 ounces) College Inn Chicken Broth
About 3 tablespoons of Wondra Flour
3-4 cloves of the roasted garlic, finely mashed
About 8 gravy ladles full of chicken drippings
Garlic salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
A few drops of Gravy Master

Place a small pot (non stick if you have one) on the stove

Place about 3 tablespoons of Wondra flour,

and about half of a (14 ounce) can of College Inn Chicken Broth
into the pot

and stir until smooth.

I mashed up 3-4 cloves of the roasted garlic from the pan
and added it to the chicken broth mix
(I mashed them first, this is just to show you I added them in)


I then added about 8 gravy ladles of drippings

(Remove the lemons and any of the burned onions)
I usually use a little of the fat, but you can skim it off,
or if you have one of those gravy separators, you can
use that to separate the fat from the drippings

to the broth mix,

stir well, and turn the heat on and bring it to a boil

Keep stirring so it doesn't get lumpy


It will thicken as it boils


I added a few drops of Gravy Master, and then tasted it



It needed a little garlic salt


and black pepper for my taste,
but you can add what you like.


If it is too thick, you can add a little more of the
chicken broth to achieve the desired consistency
Note, the gravy may have a lemony taste to it.

Place in a gravy boat to serve...

To Carve and Serve:

Remove the roasted garlic from the pan

and squeeze the garlic cloves out (save 3-4 cloves for the gravy)
and place the rest around a serving platter.

Place the chicken on a cutting board

Cut the kitchen twine

Pull the leg away from the body and slice
through the joint and place on a dish

Pull the wing away from the body and
slice throught the joint of the wing (repeat
with the second wing) place on a dish


Then, slice down along one side of the breast bone


Remove that half of the breast meat in one piece



Place on a cutting board and slice
against the grain


Continue slicing until the breast is completely cut


Try to lift it up in one piece so you can
fan it out on a serving platter


Place the legs and wings in the middle of the platter

Enjoy!!!

PS: I prefer an electric carving knife because I am lazy, in fact I have to replace mine and I am looking for a new one. You can use any carving knife that works for you.