Lemon roast chicken - sunshine for the kitchen
During extensive trips to Greece in the 90s, I realized my weakness for the combination of chicken and lemon. The fresh acidity of the lemon adds an addictive note to the hearty and delicate taste of the chicken. So here is my favorite roast chicken - without any added fat.
If we don't get to spend these days on powdery slopes, the relentless cold of January and its darkness brings us to the limits of well-being - at least it does for me.
We need a dish that brings a little sunshine into our kitchens and minds and at the same time defies the winter in a hearty way. If it's also so simple, it quickly joins the league of delicacies that can be whipped up at any time.
With this recipe, we would like to point out that we consider animal products to be the most precious of goods, which are only served rarely and then in an absolutely responsible manner.
Now we can start buying the highest quality ingredients:
🍋 A ready-to-fry chicken from responsible, organic farming (for example, order from the farm here )
🍋 2 organic lemons (you can also order them online directly from organic farmers or buy them in the supermarket)
Now it's time for an apron, a glass of good wine and the right playlist (in my case Klaus Trabitsch winter music), then you're ready to go!
What we need
1 ready-to-fry chicken
2 lemons
Salt, pepper
if you like: some rosemary, a clove of garlic
How does it work?
🍋 Preheat the oven to 180 degrees top and bottom heat
🍋 Rinse the chicken in cold water, pat dry well, remove any fat deposits from the belly and rub generously with salt and pepper inside and out
🍋 Rinse the lemons, dry them and roll them on the work surface with the flat of your hand, applying gentle pressure and pricking them several times with a larding needle
🍋 Now stuff the belly of the chicken with the lemons or, if you prefer, with rosemary and a peeled clove of garlic
🍋 Close the stuffed chicken with kitchen twine or larding needles and carefully tie the chicken legs together at the joints with kitchen twine (without breaking the skin) to secure them in place
🍋 Now it goes breast-side down into an ungreased (!!) pan and into the top third of the oven
🍋 Turn after 30 minutes and do the same again (another 30 minutes at 180 degrees in the upper third)
🍋 Then heat the oven to 200 degrees and roast the now irresistibly fragrant roast chicken for another 20 minutes until it is absolutely crispy
🍋 When carving the lemons, it's best to cut them open (I've had a few things happen when squeezing them)
Combine with rice, mashed potatoes, salad or whatever you like and enjoy with all your heart!
What to do with the leftovers?
If, contrary to expectations, there is some leftover chicken, the aromatic leftovers can be used to make a delicious chicken salad (perhaps with leftover rice). You'll be amazed at how good it tastes!
