Lemon-Thyme Chicken

"This simple recipe relies on the pure flavors of its three primary ingredients: lemon, fresh thyme and chicken. Choose the best-quality chicken you can find—ideally a pasture-raised bird, whose varied diet will give the meat more flavor. The rich gravy, made from pan drippings, provides a textural match to the Chardonnay, and the relative mildness of the chicken will allow the wine’s subtleties to show. Williams-Sonoma"
 
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Ready In:
2hrs
Ingredients:
10
Serves:
8
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ingredients

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directions

  • About 30 minutes before roasting, remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Preheat an oven to 450°F Oil a roasting rack and place it in a roasting pan.
  • Remove and discard any pockets of fat from the chicken cavity. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. With the chicken placed breast side up and starting at the neck cavity, slip your fingers under the skin and gently separate the skin from the breast meat on both sides, being careful not to tear the skin. Carefully slide 4 or 5 lemon slices and half of the thyme sprigs under the skin, spacing them evenly. Season the cavity with salt and pepper, and place the remaining lemon slices and thyme in the cavity. Tuck the wing tips under the back. Tie the legs together with kitchen string. Rub the chicken all over with the butter. Place the chicken, breast side up, on the rack.
  • Roast the chicken for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F Add the carrots, celery, onion and the 1 1/2 cups stock to the pan. Continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, away from the bone, registers 170° to 175°F, 1 to 1 1/2 hours more. Remove from the oven. Slip a pair of tongs in the chicken cavity and carefully tip the bird, draining the liquid from the cavity into the pan. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the roasting pan and pour the contents of the pan through a medium-mesh sieve into a large measuring pitcher. Using a spoon, press on the contents of the sieve to extract as much liquid as possible. Skim off and reserve 3 Tbs. fat, discarding the remainder. Add stock if needed to the pitcher to total 2 cups.
  • In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the reserved fat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly stir in the 2 cups liquid. Add any juices from the carving board. Cook, stirring constantly, until the gravy is smooth and thickens slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper.
  • Carve the chicken and arrange on a warmed platter. Pour the gravy into a warmed bowl and pass at the table.

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<p>&nbsp;<img src="http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy17/ZaarBrenda/Adopted.jpg" alt="" width="205" height="170" /><img src="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg271/MrsTeny/Permanent%20Collection/PACSpring09Iwasadopted.jpg" alt="" width="217" height="103" /><img src="http://img.recipezaar.com/img/library/founding_banner.gif" alt="" /><br /><br /><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong><em>I'm a mother to three beautiful children: one boy and two girls. We have the cutest little grand children. He's a real charmer and a handful! And she's an absolute prescious little princess. No wonder grandparents love them so! I have a great husband who likes to help me cook and clean. <img title="Wink" src="/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/img/smiley-wink.gif" border="0" alt="Wink" />&nbsp; We love to garden and have a huge herb and vegetable garden every year. Wondering what to do with all the eggplant, tomatoes, and zucchini is what led me to Zaar. &nbsp;My husband and I have a wonderful time cooking together, whether in the kitchen or on our deck. We love to eat and try new food. We just cook and eat it all! <img title="Kiss" src="/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/img/smiley-kiss.gif" border="0" alt="Kiss" />&nbsp; I love any holiday when my family can come home to visit. For the holidays, we always cook the traditional fare, but add new twists by adding a few new recipes into the menus. It's always interesting to see what they think! I also love cooking for our office parties. You always know it's a hit when they ask for the recipe.&nbsp; <img title="Wink" src="/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/img/smiley-wink.gif" border="0" alt="Wink" /></em></strong></span></p>
 
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