Lemon Roasted Chicken with Herbs and Vegetables

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Brine the chicken. Put salt, peppercorns, and water in a clean container (like a bucket or stockpot). Submerge the bird and refrigerate. Brining can be done for as little as an hour or as long as 24 hours.

2. 2

   Preheat oven to 400º F.

3. 3

   Rinse the chicken thoroughly to remove salt and pat dry inside and out. (If you don't brine the bird, there is no reason to rinse.)

4. 4

   Put 2 sprigs of rosemary and 2 sprigs of thyme in the chicken cavity and truss.

5. 5

   Place the chicken on a foil-covered sheet pan and surround with potatoes, carrots, lemons, and remaining sprigs of herbs. Mix chopped garlic into potatoes and carrots. Drizzle chicken, vegetables, and lemons with oil and sprinkle generously with salt & pepper. Rub with your hands to make sure all of the chicken and vegetables are coated. Pierce the fingerlings with the tip of a sharp knife.

6. 6

   Roast @ 400º F for roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes or until well browned, juices run clear, and the chicken temps at 165º F or above.

7. 7

   Remove chickens to a cutting board and vegetables to a platter - leaving room on one side for the carved bird. Cover the platter with foil to keep the vegetables warm. Do not discard the chicken juices. Note: If the vegetables are done before the chicken, pull them out and put them in a bowl. Cover with foil to keep warm.

8. 8

   Carve the chicken and add carved bird to the platter with vegetables and two of the lemon halves.

9. 9

   Squeeze the other lemons into the reserved chicken juices and drizzle over the chicken before serving. Alternatively, drizzle pan juices over the chicken and then squeeze the lemons over the chicken and vegetables.