Use the left-over lemon rinds and a handful of herbs to stuff your
chicken. The meat will capture the aroma of fresh herbs without all the
extra work of chopping herbs for basting.
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
2 trans-fat free, margarine
3 Lemons, juiced, rinds reserved for stuffing
2 teaspoons sea salt, plus 1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 cloves of garlic, smashed with palm of your hand
small handful of thyme
1 roasting chicken, about 3 1/2 pound, rinsed and patted dry
Preheat oven to 450º F.
In a small saucepan on low heat, melt the margarine, with lemon juice and one sprig of thyme.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salt inside chicken then stuff with lemon rinds,
garlic, and a handful of fresh thyme. Tie the chicken legs shut with
kitchen string.
Place the chicken on a rack in a large roasting pan, breast side up. Baste
with margarine mixture then sprinkle generously with salt. Continue to
baste throughout cooking.
After 40 minutes, turn chicken over and cook an additional 30 minutes. For the last 10 minutes of cooking, turn over to crisp the breast skin, total cooking time about 1 1/4 hours - 170° F on a thermometer.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, cover loosely with aluminum foil
and let rest for 10 minutes before carving so that the juices can
redistribute.
