Roasted Chicken & Vegetables with Rosemary & Preserved Lemon
It's not just chicken…it's perfectly roasted chicken. There is a difference. Chicken heals, chicken nourishes, and chicken comforts the soul. Chicken is unmatched in its versatility. If you plan to roast one chicken for Sunday dinner, then roast two so you have this wonderfully satisfying base ingredient to use many different ways throughout the week. My recipe is a twist on the classic with rosemary and preserved lemons. Preserving lemons turns them into a soft, salty, sweet deliciousness that adds a pop of citrus to any dish, and will last in your fridge for months. Serving them with roasted vegetables in the pan gravy make this meal perfectly comforting for the entire family!
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425º F.
2. Peel and cut the carrots into thick slices about 1inch thick and onions into quarters. Set aside.
3. Cut the potatoes and fennel into quarters Set aside.
4. Wash and pat dry chickens. Rub the outside of bird with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
5. Carefully separate the skin from the breast meat; rub the salt & pepper mixture underneath the skin and all over the birds. Place ¼ of 1 lemon and a sprig of rosemary under each side under the skin. Place the remaining ½ lemon and a sprig of rosemary in cavity.
6. Tuck the wings behind the “shoulders”.
7. Truss with kitchen twine. Repeat with the other chicken.
8. Lay the chickens on their tummy on a rack in roasting pan. Add stock and the vegetables to the pan and roast the chickens in 425º F oven for 20 minutes.
9. Turn chickens to their side, and roast for 20 minutes. Turn chicken to other side, and roast for 20 minutes.
10. Place chicken on their backs, baste with juices, and roast for about 20 minutes more or until internal temperature is 170° F
11. Transfer the chickens to a platter, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes.
12. Carve the chicken and place on a plate or platter top with the roasted vegetables and pan drippings.
TIPS AND TRICKS
• Always roast 2 chickens. They make great leftovers.
• Trussing the chickens makes it cook more evenly and is easier to turn.
• I remove the cooked rosemary sprigs before serving but stir the chopped cooked lemons into the vegetables.
Ingredients
2 medium yellow onions
4-6 medium carrots
2 heads fennel, frons removed
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, wash
Two chickens, about 4-5 pounds each
2 tsp each: sea salt and black pepper, mixed together
2 preserved lemons, flesh & skin cut into small dice ** recipe attached
several sprigs fresh rosemary
4T olive oil
1 cup chicken stock
kitchen twine
