Lemon Garlic, and Rosemary Roasted Chicken

If this isn't the best roasted chicken you've ever tasted, feel free to send a recipe for anything allegedly better. I'll try to look at it with an open mind.

Once again, I give credit to mi mama for this recipe. It's simple and elegant. And after you enjoy it fresh out of the oven, you'll find yourself picking the carcass tomorrow for lunch.

Lemon Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

1 large roasting chicken (4-5 lbs.)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large lemon
3-4 garlic cloves, quartered
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Sea Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a baking rack in a shallow roasting pan and spray with non-fat cooking spray.

Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken on the rack in the roasting pan.

Pour olive oil on chicken and rub it all over the chicken skin.

Cut the lemon in half and squeeze lemon juice all over the chicken. Place used lemon halves inside chicken cavity.

Using your fingers, slide half of the garlic slices under the chicken skin. Some should go between the skin and the breast meat, while some should go between the skin and the thigh and leg meat. Place the leftover garlic slices inside the chicken cavity.

Place one rosemary sprig inside the chicken cavity. Remove the leaves from the other two sprigs and sprinkle them all around the outside of the chicken skin.

Sprinkle salt and pepper inside the chicken cavity. Sprinkle more salt and pepper all over the chicken skin.

Place the chicken in the oven. Roast for 20 minutes, breast side up. Turn the chicken over and roast for 30 minutes. Once again, turn the chicken over, and roast for 20-30 minutes. Check to see if the chicken is done by sticking a knife between the leg and the thigh -- if the juices run clear, the chicken is done. If not, roast for another 15 minutes and check once again.

I serve a variety of vegetables with this chicken: broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, green salad. I can also recommend rice, orzo pasta, or gnocchi as a second side dish.

Note: If the chicken comes with heart, liver and gizzards, I always roast these alongside the chicken, sprinkled with a little salt and pepper. They'll be ready after 30 minutes.