A friend gave me this wonderful roast chicken recipe that I made for the first time last night. I would say that it is currently among my five all-time favorite chicken recipes. I mean, wow! This complete meal is simply outstanding. It is soooo good and so easy to make. Although the chicken takes on some of the lemon and rosemary flavoring, it isn’t overpowering. The finger potatoes, pearl onions, and garlic cloves become caramelized and are absolutely irresistible, taking on a mildly sweet flavor. Even the lemons are tasty. Who would think of eating a roasted lemon peel, but I tried it and was pleasantly surprised. The lemons cook down to such an extent that the caramelized skins become tender, remaining only slightly chewy, and they lose most of there sour and bitter taste. Although I liked the flavor, I’m sure it would be an acquired taste for many people.

Jim's Lemon and Rosemary Roast Chicken with Country Vegetables

Jim's Lemon and Rosemary Roast Chicken with Country Vegetables

Chef Jim recommends that free-range chicken be used for this recipe: commercially raised chicken just doesn’t have that country flavor and supreme juiciness that adds so much to this dish. And, although finger potatoes are quite expensive and would break the bank if you were using them to make mashed potatoes for a bunch of starving teenagers, they are essential in this recipe for their ability to contribute to the caramelized flavor of the entire dish—regular baking potatoes just wouldn’t come close. Yes, free-range chicken is more expensive than supermarket chicken and finger potatoes aren’t cheap, so this isn’t one of the most economical chicken recipes that I’ve prepared, but for a special occasion, it is well worth the extra expense. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

 

This recipe provides 4 ample servings.

 

Ingredients:

 

  • One whole free-range chicken, 3 lbs.
  • 1-½  lbs. finger potatoes
  • About 24 pearl onions
  • 10 or more garlic cloves (Whenever a recipe says “or more” when it calls for garlic, I always go for it—about double the amount in this case. A little extra garlic never hurt anything, right?)
  • 20-24 asparagus spears
  • 6-8 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 3 lemons, cut into quarters
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ½ stick butter
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • A sprinkling of sea salt
  • A sprinkling of black pepper

Directions:

  • Stuff the chicken with as many of the quarter pieces of lemon as possible. Also, place inside the chicken, 4 to 6 of the pearl onions, 2 to 4 of the garlic cloves, and a sprig of fresh rosemary.
  • Place the chicken in a large roasting pan containing 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and a half-cup of water.
  • Melt the butter and stir it into the remaining olive oil. Brush some of the butter and oil mixture on the chicken. Squeeze two of the lemon quarters over the chicken. Sprinkle the oregano, sea salt, and black pepper onto the chicken. Place the two lemon skins (from the squeezed lemons) on top of the chicken; then arrange 4 rosemary springs over the chicken. Around the chicken, arrange any of the remaining lemon quarters (not squeezed).
  • Bake in a 325ºF oven for 45 minutes. Two or three times during the cooking process, brush more of the butter and olive oil mixture onto the chicken.
  • After the 45 minutes roasting time has elapsed, add the finger potatoes, the remaining onions and garlic, and the remaining rosemary sprigs to the pan, arranged evenly around the chicken. Bake for an additional 45 minutes to an hour. Again, brush the chicken, and the potatoes, with more of the butter and oil mixture, two or three times during the remainder of the cooking time.
  • When the chicken is almost done (170ºF as measured on a reliable meat thermometer), coat the asparagus with some of the butter and oil mixture and then arrange the asparagus around the chicken.
  • Cook for another 6 to 8 minutes. Do not overcook the asparagus!
  • Remove the pan from the oven, place the chicken on a cutting board, tent the chicken with foil, and let it rest for about 5 minutes prior to carving.
  • Serve the chicken with the finger potatoes, onions, garlic cloves, and asparagus for a complete meal.

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