Roasted Herbed Chicken With Potatoes and Creamy Lemon Sauce

This is a recipe that has gradually evolved over several years at our house. My family loves this meal---the chicken is roasted on a broiler pan while thinly sliced potatoes are layered on the drip pan underneath. As the chicken cooks, the flavors drip down onto the potatoes; they're so delicious! The sauce is creamy and tangy and is great on both the chicken and the potatoes. We usually eat this with sauteed green beans on the side.

• Ready In: 1 hr 25 mins
• Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

• 1  whole roasting chicken, butterflied (about 3 lbs)
• 4 -6  medium  sized  red potatoes
• 6 -8  garlic cloves
•  extra virgin olive oil
•  dried  herbes de provence
•  salt
•  pepper
•  garlic powder
•  sweet Hungarian paprika
• 3  lemons, scrubbed to remove wax
• 1  tablespoon butter
• 2 -3  small shallots, minced
• 1  cup  chicken stock
• 0.5 (10 1/2ounce) can  condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 1  dash  balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat oven broiler, keeping oven door cracked.
2. Cut lemons in half. Cut the nub off so they can stand up in a small roasting pan, flesh side up. Season lemons with coarse salt.
3. Place under broiler, about 2 inches from heating element. Roast until the tops are browned and blistered, but not burned (about 8-10 minutes). Set aside to cool.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
5. Place butterflied chicken in mixing bowl, coat with olive oil. Season liberally with salt, pepper, Herbs de Provence, paprika and garlic powder, massaging into the entire surface, as well as under the skin.
6. Slice the potatoes in 1/8-1/4 inch rounds. Place in another mixing bowl, lightly coat with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, Herbs and paprika.
7. Line the drip pan of a broiler pan with aluminum foil. Place the potatoes in a single layer (okay if they overlap slightly) in the drip pan. Slice 6-8 cloves of garlic in half lengthwise and sprinkle over potatoes.
8. Place the broiler rack on top, arrange the chicken on top (skin side up). Place in oven with breast side toward the front of the oven. Cook for 45 minutes - 1 hour or until thigh meat reaches 180 degrees, breast 165 degrees. During the last 15 minutes of cooking, turn the oven up to 450 degrees to achieve the desired crispiness of skin.
9. To make sauce:
10. While the chicken is cooking, strain juice from roasted lemons and set aside.
11. Melt butter over medium heat in 10 inch saute pan. Saute shallots until soft and lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes.
12. Add roasted lemon juice and chicken stock, bring to boil. Lower heat, simmer and reduce by half. (This should take about 10-12 minutes).
13. Add cream of mushroom soup, heat through, add about 1 tablespoons sugar (more or less depending on acidity of the lemons). Add dash of balsamic vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve sauce with chicken and potatoes.