Roast Chicken and Veggies

I kind of have a weird thing with handling raw chicken - so the fact that this was a whole chicken was really gross...I got over it quickly when I had to put stuff into the cavity of the chicken....again - use gloves.  (Jenn - just another time I used my rubber gloves in the kitchen - I love them sooo much!!)  But for real - check this dish out ....how fancy does that look ?!  This was almost too easy to look that hard :)  You must try it - sooo yummy!!  I cut up all the chicken and threw it right in there with the juices / veggies....so tasty!!!

Serves 2 - Bride and Groom Cookbook

Ingredients:
3 carrots, cut into thirds
6 small red potatoes, quartered if large
1 medium yellow onion, cut into 6 wedges
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or olive oil
salt and pepper
1 chicken (3-4 lbs)
1 lemon, quartered
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Put the carrots, potatoes, and onion in 9x13 glass baking pan.  Toss the veggies with 1 tablespoon of butter.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spread veggies to the edges of the baking dish, making room for the chicken.

Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity of the chicken and discard (this should come in a bag so don't panic).  Rinse the bird under cold running water - and pat dry.  Put the garlic cloves on the bottom of the open space in pan (prevents them from burning if chicken is on top).  Put the chicken breast side up, in the center of the baking dish,.  Brush the chicken with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.  Season the cavity and skin generously with salt and pepper.  Put the lemon quarters and rosemary sprigs inside the cavity.

Roast for 45 minutes.  Remove the dish from the oven - using tongs, tilt the chicken, pouring the juices from the cavity onto the veggies.  Shake to coat.  Baste the chicken with the pan juices.  If the bird is browning too quickly, cover with foil.  Continue roasting until the chicken is a deep golden brown and the juices run clear when the tip of a knife is inserted into the thigh joint, or until instant read thermometer inserted into the thigh, away from the bone, registers 175 degrees; 25-30 minutes more.

Transfer the chicken to a platter, cover loosely with foil, and let stand for 10-15 minutes before carving.  Using the back of the spoon, mash the garlic and squeeze some lemon into the pan juices.  Toss the juices with the veggies.  Carve the chicken and serve with the veggies alongside.  Drizzle any remaining juices over the chicken.

NOTE: One way to serve roasted chicken is to carve all the meat from the bones after the meat has rested and chop it into bite-sized pieces.  Then return the meat to the garlicky, lemon pan juices, re-season it with more salt and pepper, and toss with the veggies.  This way, every last bit of the chicken is well seasoned and moist throughout (breasts included).