Oven Roasted Chicken

The preparation time for this dish is 10 minutes. The easiest dish to prepare and then into the oven for 1-1 1/2 hours. Read a book, watch a great movie, get office or house work done while your oven does the work!
Choose a whole Chicken, 65% of a whole chicken is edible. For 4-6 people choose a 4 lb chicken. Cooking time for a whole chicken is  20 minutes per pound.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4-6 pound Whole Chicken (Remove giblets from cavity. Wash and pat dry with paper towels)
  • Salt, Pepper and Sage to taste
  • Lather chicken with 1/4 cup oil or butter
  • 3-4 Rosemary Sprigs
  • Lemon for the chicken
  • 1/4 c. water
  • 1/4.c white wine

Preheat oven to 450 F.

CHICKEN PREPARATION: In a bowl mix 3/4 tsp, salt and 1/2 tsp pepper, 3/4 tsp sage, set aside. Rub vegetable or olive oil, or butter onto the chicken, this will reduce the water loss from the chicken and maintain a juicier bird. Rub seasonings onto all sides of chicken and inside of the cavity (Use all the seasoning!) Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into the cavity of the chicken and then place  the lemon halves into the chicken cavity. (Moisture tip: align bacon strips on top of chicken.)

ROASTING INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. In a roasting pan, (if available use a roasting rack) rest 4 rosemary sprigs about 3-5 inches in length on bottom of pan.
  2. Place chicken on top of rosemary.
  3. Add water and wine. (If desired, spoon raw vegetables around chicken.) Cover pan with tinfoil.
  4. Place chicken into oven, reduce temperature to 375F.
  5. Allow chicken to bake in oven covered for 60 minutes. Remove tinfoil, let chicken finish baking for 30 minutes. 
  6. Check temperature of bird by placing thermometer into between the breast and the thigh of bird without touching the bone. Internal temperature should be 165 F. Fluids should run clear when the chicken is done.

TOTAL COOKING TIME depends on the size of the bird. Allow the chicken to cook 20 minutes per pound. ADJUST ACCORDINGLY if roasting pan has no water add 1/2 cup. IF the bird is juicy and there is and abundance of water remove aluminum foil.

Ingredients for vegetables

Roasted Vegetables

  • 3 onions peeled and quartered
  • 4-6 potatoes washed and quartered (optional peeled)
  • 4 Carrots quartered
  • 3 Zucchini’s quartered (lightly salted to remove bitterness)
  • Mushroons
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 Pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp Turmeric
  • 2 Whole Garlic Cloves (peeled and minced)
  • 1/4 c. Olive Oil

In a separate oven proof dish, add all ingredients and mix well with a spoon.  Place into oven and allow to bake along side chicken for 1 hour.