Roast Chicken

This recipe provides 4 ample servings.


Ingredients: 

• One whole free-range chicken, 3 lbs.
• 1-½  lbs. finger potatoes
• About 24 pearl onions
• 10 or more garlic cloves (Whenever a recipe says “or more” when it calls for garlic, I always go for it—about double the amount in this case. A little extra garlic never hurt anything, right?)
• 20-24 asparagus spears
• 6-8 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 3 lemons, cut into quarters
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ stick butter
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• A sprinkling of sea salt
• A sprinkling of black pepper

Method:

1. Stuff the chicken with as many of the quarter pieces of lemon as possible. Also, place inside the chicken, 4 to 6 of the pearl onions, 2 to 4 of the garlic cloves, and a sprig of fresh rosemary.
2. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan containing 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and a half-cup of water.
3. Melt the butter and stir it into the remaining olive oil. Brush some of the butter and oil mixture on the chicken. Squeeze two of the lemon quarters over the chicken. Sprinkle the oregano, sea salt, and black pepper onto the chicken. Place the two lemon skins (from the squeezed lemons) on top of the chicken; then arrange 4 rosemary springs over the chicken. Around the chicken, arrange any of the remaining lemon quarters (not squeezed).
4. Bake in a 325ºF oven for 45 minutes. Two or three times during the cooking process, brush more of the butter and olive oil mixture onto the chicken.
5. After the 45 minutes roasting time has elapsed, add the finger potatoes, the remaining onions and garlic, and the remaining rosemary sprigs to the pan, arranged evenly around the chicken. Bake for an additional 45 minutes to an hour. Again, brush the chicken, and the potatoes, with more of the butter and oil mixture, two or three times during the remainder of the cooking time.
6. When the chicken is almost done (170ºF as measured on a reliable meat thermometer), coat the asparagus with some of the butter and oil mixture and then arrange the asparagus around the chicken.
7. Cook for another 6 to 8 minutes. Do not overcook the asparagus!
8. Remove the pan from the oven, place the chicken on a cutting board, tent the chicken with foil, and let it rest for about 5 minutes prior to carving.
9. Serve the chicken with the finger potatoes, onions, garlic cloves, and asparagus for a complete meal.