Caramelized Lemon Roasted Chicken
This secret ingredient from the baking shelf gives this roasted chicken the perfect tender-crispiness and adds a bright lemony caramelization. It's the perfect roast chicken for springtime!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 3.5-4 lb. whole chicken backbone removed, butterflied
- 3/4 cup lemon curd
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme chopped
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1 lemon halved
- 2 whole heads of garlic top 1/4" removed
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- loaf of crusty bread for serving
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to º450.
- Mix together 1/2 cup lemon curd, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set remaining 1/4 cup lemon curd aside.
- Place the chicken in a shallow heavy duty roasting pan. Take your lemon curd mixture and smear some on the underside of the chicken (where there's no skin) and then flip it over (breast side up) and gently slide the end of a fork or spoon under the skin. Start at the top of the breast and separate the skin from the flesh. This is making space for that luscious lemon curd mixture.
- Spread the rest of the lemon curd mixture under the skin, all the way to the legs and thighs. Tuck under the wings and lay the legs flat. Spread the unseasoned lemon curd, that you set aside, over the top of the skin in a thin layer. Season with kosher salt and pepper.
- Add a the halved lemons and garlic heads, cut side down, around the chicken. Drizzle everything with a little olive oil.
- Roast in the pre-heated oven for 25 minutes. Then, add the white wine (This will keep the roasting pan from burning and create a delicious pan sauce. Using tongs, turn the garlic heads and lemon halves over, cut side up. Roast another 15 to 20 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads º165 when inserted into the thigh. Cover chicken with foil if it begins to get too brown.
- Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes and squeeze the juice from that roasted lemon over the top. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the garlic heads with your fingers into a small bowl. Enjoy the roasted garlic by spreading it onto some crusty bread with a sprinkle of sea salt.
- Serve this delicious spring chicken alongside a tossed salad and roasted garlic slathered warm bread. Enjoy!