Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken

Dave C's Note:

Got this recipe from a friend in Virginia. Thanks Val. :>)

• Total Time: 2 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 2 garlic cloves
• kosher salt
• 1 lemon, halved and juiced, halves reserved
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
• fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 (3 lb) chicken
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. On a work surface, mince the garlic with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.
3. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl and whisk in the lemon juice, rosemary, sweet paprika, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, whisk in the olive oil.
4. Using your fingers, gently loosen the skin from the chicken breasts, thighs and drumsticks; try not to tear the skin.
5. Season the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper and put the chicken in a roasting pan.
6. Using a small spoon, pour all but 1 tablespoon of the seasoning mixture under the skin of the chicken, rubbing it into the breasts, thighs and drumsticks.
7. Rub the butter under the skin of the breast meat.
8. Rub the remaining 1 tablespoon of the seasoned oil all over the chicken and season it with salt.
9. Put the reserved lemon halves in the cavity of the chicken and tie the legs together with twine.
10. Roast the chicken for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices from the cavity run clear and the chicken is browned and crisp.
11. Let the chicken rest in the roasting pan for 15 minutes.
12. Tilt the chicken to drain the juices from the cavity into the pan; transfer the chicken to a carving board.
13. Pour the pan juices into a bowl and skin the fat from the surface.
14. Strain the juice into a small saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
15. Carve the chicken and serve with the pan juices.

Reviews

[Denise!]

This is the best roast chicken I've ever had. I made two changes - I stuffed the chicken cavity with a sliced whole onion and lemons and I stuffed sliced lemon under the skin of the breast meat. I've never had chicken this moist and so flavorful! This is a new family favorite, thanks!

[marybeth]

Very tasty, although I had a hard time finding the specific kinds of paprika in the recipe and had to use the plain old stuff. I roasted some potatoes with it, and it made a wonderful zesty gravy also!!!

[HOUSEMANAGER (Charlene)]

Well Dave Caster you certainly have yourself one delicious bird here! I hadn't roast a chicken in sometime, but I knew there was a lemon / garlic recipe out there that I had previously used and enjoyed... this was it! This oh-so-simple way of roasting a chicken is nothing short of a classic recipe in our kitchen from now on. The bird had a wonderful enhancing not overpowering flavor, the skin was crisp and the meat was especially moist. I also, couldn't find the difference in paprika so I used Spanish, and it was bang on. I'm submitting a photo of this "Chick" in appreciation of your sharing such a wonderful recipe!