Ingredients
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3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
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3 1/2 lbs roasting chickens
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1/3 cup olive oil
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2 tablespoons butter, melted
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2 garlic cloves, minced
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1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced (reduce by at least half if using dried thyme)
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1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced (reduce by at least half if using dried thyme)
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1/2 teaspoon pepper
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2 small lemons
Instructions
- Remove the giblets from the chicken, and rinse the chicken with cold water. Pat dry.
- Punch holes in the lemon rinds with a wooden pick. Cut the lemons in half. Place the lemon halves in the cavity of the chicken. (Sometimes I add a quarter or two of onion or celery pieces here). Truss the chicken; place the chicken, breast side up, on a lightly greased baking rack in a shallow roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer into the breast of the chicken, making sure it does not touch bone.
- Combine the oil and the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well. Brush the chicken with 1/4 cup of the oil mixture -- take the time to loosen the skin and rub some of the mixture into the meat, but make sure you oil the skin so it is deliciously brown and crisp.
- Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat thermometer registers 170 degrees, brushing occasionally with the remaining oil mixture. Remove the chicken to a serving platter. Let it rest for at least 5-10 minutes before carving.