Roasted Chicken Served with Vegetables, Rosemary and Preserved Lemon

Name: Roasted Chicken Served with Vegetables, Rosemary and Preserved Lemon
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 115 min
Ingredients: 2 Medium Yellow Onions; 4-6 Medium Carrots; 2 heads Fennel (frons removed); 1 pound Yukon Gold Potatoes (wash); Two Whole Chickens (about 4-5 pounds each); 2 tsp each: Sea Salt and Black Pepper (mixed together); 2 Preserved Lemons (flesh & skin cut into small dice (See "Lemon Preserve" recipe for instructions)); several sprigs Fresh Rosemary; 4 T Olive Oil; 1 cup Chicken Stock; Kitchen Twine

It's not just chicken…it's perfectly roasted chicken. There is a difference. Chicken heals, chicken nourishes, and chicken comforts the soul. Chicken is unmatched in its versatility. If you plan to roast one chicken for Sunday dinner, then roast two so you have this wonderfully satisfying base ingredient to use many different ways throughout the week. My recipe is a twist on the classic with rosemary and preserved lemons. Preserving lemons turns them into a soft, salty, sweet deliciousness that adds a pop of citrus to any dish, and will last in your fridge for months. Serving them with roasted vegetables in the pan gravy make this meal perfectly comforting for the entire family!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 1 hr 20 mins

Resting Time 15 mins

Total Time 1 hr 55 mins

Ingredients

2 Medium Yellow Onions
4-6 Medium Carrots
2 heads Fennel frons removed
1 pound Yukon Gold Potatoes wash
Two Whole Chickens about 4-5 pounds each
2 tsp each: Sea Salt and Black Pepper mixed together
2 Preserved Lemons flesh & skin cut into small dice (See "Lemon Preserve" recipe for instructions)
several sprigs Fresh Rosemary
4 T Olive Oil
1 cup Chicken Stock
Kitchen Twine

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425º F.
Peel and cut the carrots into thick slices about 1inch thick and onions into quarters. Set aside.
Cut the potatoes and fennel into quarters. Set aside.
Wash and pat dry chickens. Rub the outside of bird with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Carefully separate the skin from the breast meat; rub the salt & pepper mixture underneath the skin and all over the birds. Place ¼ of 1 lemon and a sprig of rosemary under each side under the skin. Place the remaining ½ lemon and a sprig of rosemary in cavity.
Tuck the wings behind the “shoulders”.
Truss with kitchen twine. Step 1: Put twine under leg bones and pull upward.
Step 2: Cross the twine above the legs.
Step 3: Pull twine outward away from the chicken and wrap around leg bones.
Step 4: Pull twine taut. Repeat with the other chicken.
Lay the chickens on their tummy on a rack in roasting pan. Add stock and the vegetables to the pan and roast the chickens in 425º F oven for 20 minutes.
Turn chickens to their side, and roast for 20 minutes. Turn chicken to other side, and roast for 20 minutes.
Place chicken on their backs, baste with juices, and roast for about 20 minutes more or until internal temperature is 170° F
Transfer the chickens to a platter, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes.
Carve the chicken and place on a plate or platter top with the roasted vegetables and pan drippings.