Recipe(tried): Repost: Ashley's Chicken with Two Lemons

Hello Joy,

This was one of the recipes included in this week's TKL E-Newsletter. I think you'd enjoy the newsletter!

Thanks for sharing the recipe Ashley.

Betsy

CHICKEN WITH TWO LEMONS
Posted by: Ashley on November 5, 1998
TKL Cooking Club Message Board

Cooking Club

I know many lemon chicken recipes call for chicken breasts in a lemon sauce, but this is for a whole chicken - simple and delicious!

Serves 4

3-4 lb Chicken
2 small lemons
freshly ground black pepper
salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Wash the chicken inside and out with cold water and remove any bits of fat hanging loose. Thoroughly drain the bird, pat it dry all around with either a tea towel or kitchen roll.

Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper all over the chicken, inside and out, rubbing it in with your fingers.

Wash the lemons in cold water and dry them as for the chicken. Soften each one by rolling it back and forth on a counter top apply firm pressure with the palm of your hand. Puncture each lemon at least 20 times with a cocktail stick, trussing needle or similar pointed implement. Place both lemons in the bird's cavity and close it up (both ends) using cocktail sticks or trussing needle and string. Close it well but not absolutely airtight otherwise the chicken may well explode! As it is the chicken will puff up during cooking and makes for an appealing presentation at the table. Tie the two chicken legs together in their normal position (do not pull tight), this is only to prevent the thighs from spreading and splitting the skin.

Put the chicken into a roasting pan, breast side down. Do not add cooking fat of any kind, it is self-basting and will not stick to the pan. Place the pan in the upper third of the pre-heated oven. After 30 minutes turn the chicken over so that it is breast up. Try not to puncture the skin as you do this (don't worry if you do, it still tastes delicious even if it does not puff up). Cook for a further 30 minutes and then, without touching the chicken, turn the oven up to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and cook for an additional 20 minutes or so. The bird should cook for 20-25 minutes per pound so some slight adjustment may be needed in cooking times, judge it by eye. Because of the basting effect of the lemons the bird will not dry out so err on the side of caution and cook a little longer if you are in doubt.

When the bird is ready place it on a platter and bring it to the table whole before carving there. Leave the lemons inside while carving. The pan juices and any liquid that runs out as the bird is being carved form a wonderful sauce. Any leftovers are delicious cold, especially if kept moist with some of the cooking juices, served at room temperature (not straight out of the refrigerator).

Comment: It is difficult to believe how a dish so simple, so easy and so foolproof can taste so exquisite. However once you have tasted it you *will* believe. This is so simple (and cheap) that you can use it for your Sunday roast (but do not try to cook anything else in the same pan as the chicken). This recipe will give flavour to almost any old chicken but for best results try to use a good free-range chicken.