Summer fun #2
So tasty, with nicely crisped skin and prep takes maybe 15 minutes. Perfect for a middle schooler to pop in the oven, so dinner’s on the table when the bigguns get home.
INGREDIENTS:
– 1 Roast chicken, 3-31/2 lbs
– Salt and pepper to taste
– ½ lemon
– 2 cloves garlic, smashed
– 2 Tbsp softened butter
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Lightly season the inside of the chicken with salt and pepper. Put lemon and garlic inside the chicken.
- Use a butter knife and spread the softened butter on the chicken covering the top of the bird. Season the entire chicken with salt (or seasoned salt) and pepper, place on a baking sheet and bake on the middle oven rack for 25 minutes.
- Turn down the oven temperature to 350 degrees and cook for another 30 minutes. If the top still isn’t crispy, put the chicken under the broiler for a few minutes to completely brown it. You will know the chicken is done when you pull at the leg and it feels ready to come off and the juices run clear (not pink) when you pierce the skin with a knife.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and cover it with foil in a loose tent shape. Let it sit for about 20 minutes so that the juices can settle into the meat.
