Herb Roasted Chicken with Lemons

By charlotteh371

I roast this chicken with lemon wedges which prop up the chicken in the pan and also add a wonderful flavor to the pan juices. after roasting, the wedges develop a bitterness that isn't for everyone, but if, like me, you appreciate that bitter note, go ahead and serve the lemons alongside the chicken as garnish

Ingredients

• 2 large lemons
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 4 1/2 lb chicken (if there are giblets, save for another use)
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large thyme sprig
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 2 large cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
• 2 tbs unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tsp herbes de provence
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup sweet vermouth
• 1 cup homemade or low salt chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp cornstarch

Preparation

Step 1

heat the oven to 425. cut the lemons in half crosswise and squeeze 2 tbsp. juice from one half; set the juice aside in a dish. reserve the squeezed half for the chicken cavity. cut each of the 3 remaining halves in half again for a total of 6 pieces

coat the bottom of a small flameproof roasting pan with the oil. wash and pat the chicken dry. remove any excess fat. season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper.

put the squeezed lemon half inside the chicken along with the thymed, rosemary, and garlic cloves. truss the bird by crossing the legs and tying them lightly with string and tucking the wings behind the back.

brush the chicken all over with the melted butter. sprinkle with the herbes de provence. set the chicken on its side in the roasting pan, using the 6 lemon pieces, flesh side down, to support it.

roast the chicken for 20mins, and then turn the bird on its side, turning the lemon pieces as well to their other flesh side. roast for another 20 mins. turn the bird on its back and turn the lemon skin side down. reduce the oven temp to 350. add 1/4 cup of the vermouth to the pan, stir to mix with the pan juices, and then baste the chicken. roast the chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 170F, about 40 mins more.

transfer the chicken to a carving board, placing the chicken breast side down. tent with aluminium foil, and let rest for 10 to 15 mins.

discard the roasted lemons. tip the roasting pan and spoon out discard as much fat as you can, leaving behind the juices. set the pan over medium-high heat. add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan by scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. bring to a boil and reduce to 2/3 cup, about 3mins.

mix the cornstarch and 1 tbsp. of the reserved lemon juice in a dish. whisk this into the pan mixture. return to a boil, for about 2mins to thicken and then remove the pan from the heat.

remove the trussing string from the chicken and carve the chicken. (discard the herbs, lemon, and garlic from the cavity). add any juices from the chicken to the sauce. taste the sauce, and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and the remaining lemon juice and vermouth. the balance of flavors will depend on the acidity of the lemons and your taste. serve the chicken with the sauce.