There are some things that boss ladies like us should know: How to manage a team, how to spend our paychecks, how to multi-task. Oh, and how to roast a chicken.
It's so easy, yet so impressive, that it can save you in a pinch whether you're cooking for 1, 2, or 4.
** Working Girl Tip: Prep this dish night before or morning of and leave the pan ready to go in the fridge for an effortless evening ahead. **
What you'll need (this recipe serves 4):
1 whole chicken (I prefer organic chickens about 6.5 lbs) // 8 lemons // Kosher sea salt and freshly ground pepper // herbs- 6 rosemary sprigs, 6 sage sprigs, 6 thyme sprigs // 1 bag baby carrots // 2 bags Brussel sprouts (about 30 sprouts) // 1 large sweet yellow onion // 1 bag baby potatoes // extra virgin olive oil // 1 large roasting pan (check my shopping section below for my favorite roasting pan-- mega worth the investment!)
1. Clean chicken- wash it with cold water in the sink, inside and out and remove giblets from the inside. With a paper towel, pat chicken dry inside and out and set aside for a few minutes to fully dry.
2. Position a rack in the upper third of your oven and preheat to 400F.
3. Prepare your veggies: Cut Brussel sprouts in half, cut potatoes in half, slice onion into slivers and throw all plus carrots into roasting pan. Drizzle EVOO over veggies and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper-- mix evenly. Throw 3 sprigs of each herb in the pan with the veggies.
4. Place your chicken in the pan, pushing veggies aside as much as possible (or, with my suggested pan, the chicken sits on top of the veggies which is ideal). Cover chicken in EVOO, salt and pepper evenly on both sides and inside the cavity. Cut four lemons in half, take the seeds out, and squeeze them all over the entire chicken on both sides, as well as all over the veggies. Throw the squeezed lemon halves inside the pan with the veggies.
5. Position chicken breast side down in pan. Pierce two lemons with a fork 3 times each and shove the lemons up the cavity. Then shove 3 sprigs each of thyme, rosemary and sage up the cavity, as well.
6. Put the chicken in the oven, then immediately lower the temperature to 350F and roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
7. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Using tongs or gloves, flip the chicken to breast side up and squeeze two remaining lemons (cut in half and pitted) all over chicken and veggies again. Again, toss the halves in the pan with the veggies to roast. Mix the veggies with a wooden spoon. Return the pan into the oven for 1 hour.
8. After 1 hour, remove the roasting pan from the oven and flip the bird one more time. Return it to the oven and let it cook for about 45 minutes (for a 6.5 lb bird), or as little as 15 minutes for a 4lb bird, or about 30 minutes for a 5lb bird. To avoid overcooking, about 10 minutes before these slated times, insert a meat thermometer into thigh-- it should read 180 degrees when it's fully cooked, and the juices should run clear when the thigh is pricked with a fork.
(Tip: roasting a chicken at 350F takes approx. 18-20 minutes per lb, plus 15 minutes). Cooking times vary.
9. Let the chicken rest outside of the oven for 10 minutes before carving. Find all 8 lemon remainders and re-squeeze their juices over the top of the chicken and all of the veggies. (YUM!)
10. Enjoy!!!
Please leave comments if you try this recipe, and tell me how your BossLady Chicken turns out!
