Roast Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary
Description
My childhood memories of chicken as a special treat for birthdays and Christmas involved loving the chicken and the gravy, but it took me years before I also enjoyed the stuffing. Now I love it. I think it is truly worth the time to make a lemony stuffing like the one for this roast chicken as it produces a wonderfully aromatic, moist bird. Accompany with roast vegetables and a simple leafy green salad.
Method
To make the stuffing, in a frying pan, fry the onions gently in the oil until soft and starting to colour. Add the chopped lemon and two tablespoons of the rosemary and fry for a few more minutes.
Remove from the heat then add the bread cubes, two teaspoons of the salt and all the pepper. Allow to cool.
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Meanwhile make the paste for the skin. Crush the garlic on a chopping board with the remaining teaspoon of salt, then mix in the rest of the rosemary.
Dry the chicken inside and out and stuff the cavity with the cooled stuffing. Tie the legs together to prevent the stuffing from oozing out. Rub the skin with olive oil, then spread the garlic and rosemary paste over the skin.
Place the chicken in an oven dish and roast for around an hour and a half (or less if the chicken is not organic), until the skin is beautifully brown.
Remove from the oven, pour the balsamic vinegar over the chicken and cover to rest for about 10 to 15minutes. Place the chicken on a carving or serving dish and reduce any pan juices. Carve the chicken, drizzle with the reduced juices and serve.
Serves 4 to 6