Roasted Lemon Thyme Chicken with Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes
A classic and simple dish that will fill your kitchen with savory aromas as it cooks.
Ingredients:
- 5 lb chicken – wing tips removed
- Salt and pepper
- 1 T fresh thyme
- 1 Meyer lemon – zested and quartered
- 1-2 lbs baby Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1 cup Chardonnay
Preparation:
Remove chicken from refrigerator 30 minutes before roasting and preheat oven to 500 degrees. In a mortar and pestle, place 1 T salt, thyme, lemon zest and crush together. Remove insides of chicken and use for stock another time. Sprinkle the cavity with the salt/thyme/lemon zest mixture. Place quartered lemon pieces inside the chicken. Salt and pepper the outside of the bird. Tie leg tips together with twine.
Place chicken in a 12 inch roasting pan, breast side up. Place potatoes all around chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the roasting pan in the oven, legs first, and roast for 50 minutes or until the juices run clear. Tent with foil if browning too quickly. Tilt the chicken to drain juices into the pan and transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Tent with foil to keep warm.
Drain excess fat from drippings. Add the wine to the roasting pan and bring to a boil, scraping bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking until reduced by half. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve chicken and potatoes with the sauce ladled over the top. Serves 4-6.