There is nothing boring about this chicken. It’s lemony, garlicky, crispy and juicy. The trick is to season it 8 hours in advance and set it in the refrigerator uncovered so the skin dries out just enough to achieve that perfect crispy texture in the oven. 

4 servings

1 open palm of chicken without skin = 1 yellow light

1 handful of veggies = 2 green lights, 1 yellow light

 Ingredients

Dry Rub for Chicken:

  • 1 4-5 lb chicken with skin
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely minced

 

Roast Chicken and Vegetables:

  • 5 sprigs thyme
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
  • 1 lemon, quartered
  • 24 oz baby yellow potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
  • 1 medium red onion, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Fresh ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Make a paste out of the salt, lemon zest and garlic. Clean out the inside of the chicken, discard gizzards, pat chicken dry with paper towels and place in a large bowl or casserole dish. Rub the salt and garlic mixture all over the chicken underneath the skin. If time permits, move the chicken to the refrigerator uncovered for 8 hours – this will help the skin dry out a bit and get crispy in the oven – otherwise move immediately to the next step.
  2. Preheat the oven to 425. Stuff the cavity of chicken with 2 sprigs of thyme, 1 sprig of rosemary, 2 garlic cloves and lemon. Tie legs together with kitchen twine.
  3. Combine the remaining garlic, potato, red onion and fennel in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread out on a roasting pan and top with remaining thyme and rosemary. Place chicken on top. Roast for 1 ½ hours or until the chicken is golden on top and 165 degrees inside. Turn the veggies halfway through cooking and add ¼ – ½ cup water to the pan. 
  4. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, tent with foil and allow to rest 10-15 minutes. Place veggies on a platter, discard the herb sprigs. Carve the chicken and serve with veggies.