Family Dinner with Tuscan Style Roast Chicken

Every Sunday is big family dinner night at my house.  Friends join us each week as we share the cooking, dining, wine and conversation!  Last week, we enjoyed Tuscan Style Roasted Chicken with sauteed asparagus, potato galette and mixed green salad with an orange sherry vinaigrette.  Yum!  I had a few requests on Twitter to share the chicken recipe, so here you go! 

Tuscan Style Lemon Roasted Chicken

 serves 4

1 whole chicken, 4 -5 lbs.

1 lemon, cut in half

1 sprig fresh rosemary, whole

1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped

2 whole cloves of garlic

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbl olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Remove giblets from chicken, rinse and pat dry.  Place in roasting pan.
3. Put ½ lemon in chicken cavity with 2 cloves of garlic and sprig of rosemary.
4. Truss chicken.
5. Squeeze remaining half of lemon over chicken.
6. Pour olive oil, rosemary, garlic, salt & pepper over chicken and rub.
7. Place chicken, breast side down, in roasting pan and into the oven. 
8. Roast 45 minutes.  Turn chicken breast side up.  Continue to roast 30 - 45 minutes, basting every 10 minutes.
9.  Chicken is done when instant read thermometer inserting into breast reaches 160°.  Remove from oven and loosely cover with foil.  Allow chicken to rest.  
10.  Carve, serve & enjoy! 

A few tips...  

I cook whole poultry breast down the first part of roasting to allow the natural juices to settle into the breast meat.  This helps to maintain more moisture in the breast and still allows the skin to roast and crisp when turned up.

Chicken is considered cooked at 165°.  Carryover cooking occurs when removing it a little early from the oven and allowing to rest. Resting the meat allows for the juices to be redistributed and absorbed throughtout prior to carving.

Trussing keeps the legs firmly against the body and allows for more even cooking.  

Eat happy!

Carolyne