Perfect Herb Roasted Chicken
 
Prep time
Cook time
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Olokliri Kota sti Skara (oh-LOH-klee-ree KOH-tah stee SKAH-rah) Perfect Herb-Roasted Chicken and Vegetables A good recipe for roasted chicken is a great addition to anyone’s repertoire. This recipe can be doubled easily and yields an amazingly moist and flavorful chicken along with vegetables for a complete dinner.
Author:
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Greek
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 roasting chicken, 41/2 to 6 pounds
  • 21/2 teaspoons sea salt, divided
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest (1 lemon)
  • 4 large lemons (1 of them zested)
  • 10 sprigs fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
  • 10 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled, divided
  • ¾ cup roughly chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
  • ¼ cup fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 medium yellow onions, cut into thick slices
  • 3 carrots, scrubbed clean, cut into
  • 11/2-inch chunks
  • 1 large fennel bulb (or 2 small), tops removed and sliced into wedges
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Thoroughly rinse the chicken under cold water, inside and out, removing any stray feathers and giblets. Pat the chicken very dry inside and out with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips under the body. Season the cavity with ½ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper. Slice the zested lemon in half, and place in the cavity along with the parsley and thyme sprigs and 3 cloves of the garlic. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Set chicken aside at room temperature.
  3. Add the remaining 3 cloves of garlic, chopped parsley, thyme leaves, dried oregano, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and ½ teaspoon of the pepper to the bowl of a food processor. With the motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil until the mixture just comes together. Stir in the lemon zest. Alternatively, you can mash the garlic, seasonings, and oil together with a mortar and pestle. Set the herb mixture aside.
  4. Distribute the onions, carrots, and fennel evenly onto the bottom of a large roasting pan, and season them with ½ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper. Slice 2 of the remaining lemons into large wedges and distribute them among the vegetables. Rub the chicken (top, bottom, sides) evenly with the herb mixture, making sure not to miss any nooks or crannies. For added measure, if desired, very carefully loosen the skin over the breast, and rub some of the herb mixture between the skin and the breast meat. Set the chicken on top of the vegetables in the pan and roast for 11/2 hours or until the juices run clear when you make a small slice between a thigh and a leg.
  5. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a large serving dish, and cover with foil to rest for 20 minutes so that the juices can settle. After 20 minutes, remove the foil, cut the twine around the legs, and discard the contents of the cavity.
  6. Carve the chicken and serve it with the vegetables and the remaining lemon cut into wedges for garnish.
Recipe by Tout va bien! (tm) at https://christymajors.com/perfect-herb-roasted-chicken-greek-bruschetta-its-all-greek/