I’m convinced that fresh herbs liven up any meal. Especially roasted chicken. I use as a lot of them in this recipe. I hope you enjoy the flavors as much as I do.
You will need:
1 whole chicken (4-5 lbs)
1 lemon
zest from one lemon
4-5 garlic cloves (give or take)
Grainy Dijon mustard
fresh parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme (sing it) I use about 1 tablespoon of each
Extra-virgin olive oil about 1/3 cup (80 mL)
salt and pepper
Assortment of root vegetables
Wash your bird inside and out with cold water.
Pat dry with a paper towel.
Zest the rind from one whole lemon and place in a small bowl.
Juice 1/2 of the lemon. Reserve both halves.
Add a heaping tablespoon of grainy Dijon mustard. I love this stuff!
Smash 4 cloves garlic.
Finely chop. You can push threw a garlic press as well.
Sprinkle in about 1 teaspoon of salt.
As several grinds of fresh pepper.
Remember fresh ground pepper + fresh herbs = fabulous
Drizzle in about 1/3 cup (80 mL) extra-virgin olive oil.
Stir.
Finely chop the fresh herbs. Sage. This is as much as I could scrape from my poor frozen herb garden. I brushed away the snow and found a few leaves hanging on to life.
Fresh rosemary.
Fresh thyme.
Fresh parsley.
Mince all of the fresh herbs.
Add to the lemon garlic mixture.
Stir.
Carefully lift the skin of the chicken away from the breast meat.
Put a heaping spoonful of the herb mixture under the skin. Spread mixture under the skin coating the breast meat.
Spread another spoonful into the cavity of the chicken.
Put in the juiced lemon half.
What the heck, throw in the other half as well.
Spread remaining herb mixture over the top of the bird.
Spread over the entire bird.
Tie the legs together.
Place in a preheated 450F (232C) oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile prepare vegetables for roasting, if desired…I desire.
I’m using what root vegetables that I have on hand. Carrots, potato, yam, shallots and I’m throwing in an apple because I love fruit/meat combo.
Peel and chop carrots.
Peel shallots.
I like to leave the little root end in tack. This will hold the shallot together during roasting. I love roasted shallots.
Wash and chop potatoes. Skins optional.
Wash and peel yam or sweet potato.
Chop.
Peel, core and chop a Granny Smith apple. Grannies hold their shape well.
Drizzle just a bit of olive oil. Just about a teaspoon full.
Add salt and fresh ground pepper.
Toss to coat.
After 15 minutes of baking time…
Add vegetables. Lower the oven temperature to 350F (176C).
Roast for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes or as long as 1 hour and 30 minutes. Make sure the chicken juices run clear. The temperature of the leg meat should be 165F (74C) degrees.
Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
My favorite roasted chicken. Just like grandma used to make. A simply one pan meal.
My Favorite Herb Roasted Chicken
1 whole chicken (4-5 lbs)
1 lemon
zest from one lemon
4-5 garlic cloves (give or take) minced
Grainy Dijon mustard
fresh parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme (sing it) I use about 1 tablespoon of each
Extra-virgin olive oil about 1/3 cup (80 mL)
salt and pepper
Assortment of root vegetables, peel and chopped
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (232C)Wash chicken in cold water. Pat dry with a paper towel. Squeeze the juice from 1/2 lemon. In a small bowl combine lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, grainy mustard, and fresh herbs. Mix together. Carefully lift the skin away from the breast of the chicken. Place a heaping spoonful of the herb mixture under the skin to coat breast meat. Place another spoonful into the cavity of the chicken. Rub remaining mixture over the entire chicken. Place both lemon halves inside the cavity of the chicken. Tie legs together and place in preheat oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 degrees F (176C). Arrange vegetables around chicken and continue to bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes OR until temperature of the leg meat reaches 165 degrees F (74C). Allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serves 4-5
This looks delicious. One daughter does not like thyme, thinks it taste and smells like mold. Do you have a suggestion for another herb to add?
I would just omit the thyme. It will still taste great.
I agree that thyme smells like mold. I don't have a problem with any other herb that I've every tried.
I go back and forth love meat hate meat. I really do not eat much but this looks amazing..Your photograpy is absolutely perfect! Thanks for sharing
Thanks, Denise. I appreciate your comment. Nice to know I'm not alone on the meat thing.
Wow, this sounds great! And…looks great. For sure, it is even more tastier! What I like the most in your recipes, is a beautifull story that goes with each one. Some people just wanna grab new recipe, but…not the thing with me. And, about chicken 🙂 we have that luck in our city (Subotica, Serbia) that our chickens still have the wright taste 🙂 😉
Once again I thank you for such a kind comment. I wish I didn't have to search for good chicken. You are fortunate.
We regularly have roast chicken at home and I have to admit it is always the same old boring thing. I am definitely going to make my next roast your way. Pinning now! x Mel
I too love this recipe! I love how you added the apple — that will make for such great flavor. And, I also have spent a lot of time not eating meat. I just feel better when I go heavy on the vegetables and light on the meat. I don't care about the fads that go around — I know how I feel. Thank you for the wonderful little twists you added to how I bake my chicken. Hey, do you think it would be ok to put it in a le cresuet pan or do you think I should have it in a pan that it's up higher and really roasting?
Hi Tami, Absolutely you can use your Le Creuset. The chicken roasts fabulous in that pan…everything works great in that pan. Thanks for your kind comment.
This looks so yummy, hope to try it soon! Always love your step-by-step photos! I tried your pain-au-chocolat recipes a while back with very good outcome thanks to your clear instructions and fast response to my question on your comment section.
Thank you so much for your comment. I'm so happy you had success with the pain au chocolat. They are a lot of work, but so worth the effort.
This looks delish!!!
This is amazing. I've made it several times and it always turns out great!
I'm so glad you like it. It's perfect for a crisp fall evening. Thank you so much.
This is amazing!