Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

Early this year I swore to myself that I would attempt, nay! perfect a roasted chicken. This was my first crack at it but I must say I consider it a smashing success. Really, roasting a chicken seems a little "out there" to me but I was shocked at how simple and delicious it was. This recipe has a very low degree of difficulty but will fool all of your dinner guests when you put it on a platter! Nothing says "home" and "comfort" like a warm roasted chicken with delicious root vegetables.




Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

1 whole chicken, 3-5 lbs (note: I highly recommend an organic bird!) salt
freshly ground pepper
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp thyme or rosemary
4 carrots, peeled and quartered
1 large onion, chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Wash the bird inside and out with cold water, then pat it dry with paper towels. Remove any innards that may have come with it before washing. Salt and pepper the inside of the chicken and set aside.

Chop onion and quarter the carrots, arranging them around the outside of a roasting pan (proportionate to the size of the bird you chose), leaving room for the chicken to be placed in the center.

Place peeled (or minced, whichever you prefer) garlic, half of the lemon, and your chosen herbs into the cavity of the chicken. Then place the bird into the middle of the roasting pan and drizzle the olive oil all over it. Season with salt and pepper.

Place pan in the center of the oven and roast for 20 minutes before turning down the heat to 350 degrees and roasting for another 60 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads between 170 and 175 degrees. Upon removing the chicken from the oven, allow it to rest for about 5 minutes to let the juices redistribute before carving.

Enjoy!