Lemon-Thyme Roast Chicken

INGREDIENTS

Serves 5 people

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 425 °F (218 °C) and arrange a rack in the middle.
2. Remove any contents inside either end of the whole chicken, then pat dry with paper towels.
3. Lay on a glass baking dish, breast-side up, and drizzle olive oil all over the skin, rubbing it over the entire surface.
4. Sprinkle liberally with salt & pepper, then halve the lemons and squeeze juice all over surface. Remove about a tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves from a few sprigs and sprinkle them over the chicken as well. Stuff the inside with the lemon halves that have already been squeezed as well as the remaining fresh thyme sprigs.
5. Transfer to the oven to bake at 425 °F (218 °C) for 15 minutes, then turn down the temperature to 375 °F (190 °C) and continue roasting until juices run clear and the internal temperature of the thigh reads 165°F (74 °C), about 50 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and let rest on a cutting board for about 15 minutes before carving.

SUGGESTIONS

• If the liver and / or neck comes with the whole chicken, stuffed inside of its cavity, you can roast it alongside the chicken in the glass baking dish. The liver can be eaten after roasting and the neck is great for making stock.
• Keep the bones and carcass after carving the chicken for making stock. If you don't plan on making the stock right away, you can store the bones and carcass in a sealed plastic bag in the freezer until you are ready to use.