Lemon & Fresh Herb Roasted Chicken

From Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair (Sasquatch Books, 2008).

Using the whole chicken is more economical than buying parts and creates less waste.  This simple recipe produces a moist, flavorful dish that can be used as a side accompaniment or as the main dish.  Watch How to Cut Up a Chicken.

1 whole free-range chicken (about 4-5 pounds)
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
3-4 tablespoons fresh oregano or marjoram
4-6 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Zest of one lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice


Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Cut chicken into 8 parts first removing legs and thighs, then the wings, and finally the breast, which is divided in half (see How to Cut Up a Chicken).  Discard back, neck and organs or use back and neck to make stock for later use.  Place chicken pieces in a 9 X 13 baking dish.

Remove leaves from rosemary and oregano and place with garlic and salt on a wooden cutting board.  Chop together until finely minced and put into a small bowl. Add pepper and zest to bowl with herbs and mix.  Coat both sides of each chicken piece with herb mixture, using a brush or by rubbing it on.  Make sure the breasts are bone side up.

Put pan into oven and immediately lower temperature to 400 degrees F.  If your oven runs hot, turn it down to 350. Let chicken roast, uncovered, for 1 hour or until meat is tender and skin has browned nicely. Remove from oven and sprinkle lemon juice over the meat before serving.

Preparation time: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Makes 4 main dishes or eight side dishes