Roasted Chicken with Garlic and Lemon

When I was fourteen, cooking dinner for a family of six was added to my list of to do chores in order to earn my weekly allowance. I remember how excited I was when given this chore. It was definitely more exciting than my other chores of cleaning the bathroom, dusting and makinng my bed. My first attempts at cooking consisted of fish sticks, spaghetti with sauce straight from the jar, and hamburgers- pretty much anything a beginner cook could not mess up. I fondly remember the first time I expanded  my cooking skills with a roast chicken dinner. Because of my parents' loving reaction and compliments, this memory has stayed with me; roast chicken is one of my favorite comfort foods.

                                                   Roasted Chicken with
                                                      Garlic and Lemon
                                                           adapted from
                                                 Martha's American Food
                                                          Martha Stewart
                           

Ingredients
1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds)
Roasted Garlic Heads
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
8 sprigs flat leaf parsley
4 sprigs rosemary, plus more for garnishing
2 lemons, halved

1. Let chicken stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Squeeze 10 roasted garlic cloves from their skins into a small bowl. Add the butter and stir together until well blended and smooth.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove and discard giblets and excess fat from the chicken cavity. Rinse chicken inside and out with cold water, pat dry with paper towels. Tuck wing tips under body. Season cavity with salt and pepper: stuff with parsley, rosemary, and 2 lemon halves. Using your hands, gently separate skin from chicken breast; spread garlic butter over entire surface and under skin. Generously season with salt and pepper. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Transfer chicken to a roasting pan. Arrange remaining 2 lemon halves around bird.

3. Roast chicken, basting occasionally with accumulated pan juices. until skin is crisp and deep golden brown and an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh registers 165 defrees F, about 1 hour.

4. Transfer chicken and lemon halves to a platter. Let chicken stand 10 to 15 minutes. Garnish with rrosemary sprigs and roasted garlic heads.

Roasted Garlic Heads
4 heads garlic, papery outer skins discarded
4 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place garlic heads on a piece of parchment, arrange thyme on top. Drizzle with olive oil. Wrap parchment to seal, then wrap in foil. Roast garlic until tender and golden, about 1 hour.

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