Oven Roasted Chicken

This oven roasted chicken recipe is my go to, especially during the weekends.  There is nothing more simple and comforting than a whole roasted chicken.  It so versatile too, it can be changed up for every season by tweaking the ingredients and spice mixture.  For this particular bird I seasoned it with summer in mind using herbs de Provence, lemons, dried mustard, fresh lavender and fresh rosemary.

Ingredients

1 roaster chicken  (5-7 lbs whole)

1 lemon (quartered)

1-2 tablespoon each of herbs de Provence, dried mustard

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375.  Wash and pat the chicken dry.  Combine your spice mixture and have it ready to dress the bird.  Pour about 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the cavity, sprinkle with spice mixture, salt/pepper; place the quartered lemon in the cavity.  In order to keep the lemons in tack, and to help with proper cooking, tie the chickens legs together with some cooking twine.  Turn the bird over, rub with olive oil, spice mixture, salt and pepper, and flip over to do the same.  I usually start with the oil and spice rub on the back so when I flip it over it’s in the ready position to roast.

Tuck in a few fresh lavender and rosemary springs on the top of the bird between the legs.  Place in the oven and roast for 1.5 to 2 hours depending on size.  Chicken is done when a meat thermometer inserted near the inner thigh (between the leg and the breast) reads 165 degrees.

Wine to pair?  Well I’m going to go with my favorite here…a pinot noir of course!  However a nice Grenache also pairs really well with roasted chicken without overwhelming the dish or your palate.  Cheers!

Check out my vlog with step by step instructions on how to prepare this bird!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K62aJ3MqqCU