To be honest this dinner actually came about because I wanted roasted rosemary potatoes. Roast chicken seemed like a good pair and I could relax and let it cook while watching the Academy Awards! This chicken is actually easy to make as long as you can handle a whole chicken (it was my first time). But now I feel like a pro!
Don't forget to start out with a little Vino. Trader Joe's had this Honey Moon Viognier on special and it was great!
Roast Chicken
From 100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know
1 whole chicken (about 4 lbs)
1/2 c. lemon juice plus 3 whole lemons
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt
Fresh sage, rosemary, arugula or parsley (all for garnish)
Pre heat oven to 400°F. Remove giblets from chicken and wash inside and out. Let drain, cavity down over colander for 2 minutes.
Pat dry with paper towels and place chicken breast side down in roasting pan with fitted rack(I didnt have a rack and it still turned out awesome!). Pour on the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper inside and out.
Prick 2 lemons 3 times with fork and place in cavity of chicken. Put chicken in oven then lower temperature to 350°F and roast uncovered for 15 minutes.
Removed pan and using tongs or spoons turn chicken so it is breast side up. Insert a meat thermometer into the thigh and roast for about 1 hour and 15 minutes until temperature reads 180°F and juice is clear when thigh is pricked with a fork.
Let chicken rest for about 10 minutes and garnish with herbs and last lemon, sliced. Use the juices from roasting pan as gravy.
Rosemary Potatoes
1 bag yellow yukon gold potatoes (I got the bag from Trader Joe's of the small potatoes and it was just enough, plus some leftovers)
6-8 springs fresh rosemary
2 tbsp. olive oil
Fresh ground pepper and sea salt to taste
I cooked these the same time as the chicken with chicken on top rack and potatoes on lower rack at 350°F but I would roast at 400°F if doing potatoes only.
Cut up potatoes into quarters. Combine potatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary in roasting pan, mix well. Cook in oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, uncovered. Or longer if you like them really crispy but I found they turned out just right when cooked the same amount of time as chicken. These tasted amazing with some of the juice from lemons in chicken cavity drizzled over them. We ate these up so fast I forgot to photograph!
Lets not forget dessert. I gave myself a break and picked up Trader Joe's Guilt Free Brownies and their Premium French Vanilla Ice Cream. All you need is 3/4 c. non fat vanilla yogurt to mix in with brownie mix, easy!
