Roast Chicken With Lemons


Photo: flickr user adactio

About

This recipe is from Marcella Hazan's "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking." It is probably her most famous roast chicken recipe. It is simple to make, requiring few ingredients, and is exceptionally flavorful.

Tip: save the bones to make a wonderful lemony chicken stock.

Tags:

Marcella Hazan
chicken
poultry
main dish

Yield:

4.0 servings

Added:

November 30, 2009

Creator:

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Rebecca Kerns's picture
Rebecca Kerns
October 14, 2011

love this recipe

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Ingredients

1 3 to 4 pound chicken
2 smalls lemons
Salt
Fresh ground pepper

Preparation

1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2
Wash the chicken thoroughly in cold water, inside and out. Remove the neck and all the bits inside, then trim any loose hanging fat. Drain all the water from the inside and pat dry.
3
Rub generous amounts of salt and pepper on the chicken, and sprinkle some inside the cavity as well.
4
Wash the lemons, then soften them by rolling them with the palm of your hand on the counter. This helps release the juices on the inside. Then, with a skewer or toothpick poke at least 20 holes (through to the pulp) into each lemon.
5
Stuff the lemons into the cavity, then close up the opening either with toothpicks or trussing needles and string. Don’t close it up air tight or the chicken may burst during cooking.
6
Put the chicken breast down in a roasting pan. The chicken is self-basting, so it won’t stick to the pan. Place it in the upper third of the oven and roast for 30-35 minutes. After 30 minutes, carefully turn the chicken over (breast up). Try not to break the skin. If the skin remains intact then it will swell up like a balloon, making for a fun presentation!
7
Cook for another 30-35 minutes, then turn the oven up to 400 degrees and continue roasting for another 20 minutes.

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