Recipe: Lemon-roasted chicken a flavourful fall meal

The lemony tang of this comforting chicken dish suggests a simple white wine.

Published Oct 19, 2024  •  Last updated 5 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

Lemon-roasted chicken makes an easy meal. Photo by Getty Images /Getty Images/iStockphoto

Reading bestselling author Timothy Taylor’s latest book, The Rise and Fall of Magic Wolf, reminded me of cooking classes I attended at La Varenne in Paris with friend and author Diane Clement. You’ll never see Taylor rise and fall in the book publishing world — the book is witty, wise and accessible to readers and philosophers alike.

The lemony tang of this comforting chicken dish suggests a simple white wine, such as an Alsatian Riesling. Adapted from The Paris Cookbook by Patricia Wells, published by HarperCollins.

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Lemon-Roasted Chicken

1 roasting chicken, preferably organic and free-range, about 5 lb. (2.2 kg)

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

2 lemons, preferably organic, scrubbed, dried and quartered lengthwise

Several sprigs fresh thyme

5 tbsp. (75 mL) unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 425 F. Pat chicken skin dry with paper towels.

Generously season chicken cavity with salt and pepper. Add lemon quarters and thyme sprigs to cavity. Truss chicken. Rub skin with butter and season all over with salt and pepper.

Place chicken on its side on a rack in a roasting pan. Place in centre of oven and roast, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken to its other side and roast 20 minutes more. Turn the chicken breast side up and roast 20 minutes, for a total of 1 hour of roasting time.

Reduce oven temperature to 375 F. Turn chicken breast side down, at an angle, so its neck is down and its tail end is in the air. (You can use a balled-up piece of foil to prop up its rear.) This position heightens the flavour by allowing juices to flow down through the breast meat. Roast until the juices run clear when you pierce a thigh with a skewer, about 15 minutes.

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Let chicken rest at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes. It will continue cooking during this time.

Remove lemons from cavity. Carve chicken and transfer to a warmed platter. Squeeze lemons over chicken, extracting as much juice as possible.

Serves 4. 

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