Dad’s Roast Chicken My Way with Parsley-Lemon Oil

Recipe by: Dave Lieberman | from Young and Hungry: More Than 100 Recipes for Cooking Fresh and Affordable Food for Everyone

Cookstr

Course: Main Course

Total Time: Under 1 Hour

Skill Level: Easy

Cost: Moderate

dadrsquos-roast-chicken-my-way-with-parsley-lemon-oil

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My dad’s roast chicken is really simple. He stuffs a whole chicken with fresh herbs and seasons it with salt and pepper, then pops it in the oven. My version, which uses chicken that’s already cut into serving pieces instead of a whole chicken, is less work and cooks a lot faster and more evenly. I’ve also spruced up the flavor with some grated lemon rind and finished it off with a fresh, colorful, and tangy oil for drizzling over the finished chicken. Dad, your chicken is good, but I may have one up on you with this one!

Yield: Makes 4 Servings

INGREDIENTS

One 3 1/2-pound chicken, precut into serving pieces
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Olive oil
4-5 sprigs fresh rosemary
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
Grated rind of 1/2 lemon

for the parsley-lemon oil:

½ bunch flat Italian parsley
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ lemon, juiced
3 pinches of salt
10 grinds of pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Take a look at the chicken and trim off any excess skin or fat. Cut off and discard the wing tips if you like.

Place the chicken pieces on a 13 × 11-inch pan or any pan they will fit in without crowding.

Season the chicken pieces generously with salt, pepper, olive oil, fresh herbs, and the lemon rind.

Toss through all the seasonings and then arrange the chicken pieces skin side up in the pan. (You can do this up to a day before you cook them. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Remove from the refrigerator about ½ hour before cooking to allow meat to come to room temperature.)

Roast until the skin is nicely browned, there is no pink near the bone, and the juices run clear, about 35 to 40 minutes. Check both the white meat and dark meat. If the white meat is done before the dark meat, take it out and set it on a serving plate until the dark meat is done. Serve hot.

To make the parsley-lemon oil: Wash and dry the parsley. Remove the leaves from the stems and finely chop the leaves. Combine with the remaining ingredients and use immediately to garnish the roast chicken.

Notes

Dave’s Take: You’ll get more juice out of your lemons if you heat them in the microwave for 10 seconds and then roll them under your palm on a hard surface, like the countertop.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Nutrients per serving (% daily value)

Nutrition info based on 1 tablespoon oil for seasoning chicken

Calories 1181kcal (59%)

Calcium 209mg (21%)

Vitamin C 45mg (76%)

Vitamin A 264mcg RAE (9%)

Potassium 1079mg

Magnesium 134mg

Protein 76g

Sugar 0g

Fiber 7g