I want to make sure we all know how to roast a whole chicken. I say this because I didn’t know how until about a year or two ago which means I went through all of my 20s and a few of my 30s not knowing and it makes me sad to think about all the delicious roasted chickens I didn’t get to eat. It’s one of the easiest things I do in the kitchen.

I’ve roasted chickens various ways over time, looking for the perfect technique. I finally found it. It’s extremely simple and turns out perfect every time. I used to roast it during the kids’ nap time so when it came out, I could devour the golden, crispy, salted skin without having to share it but since Lucy stopped taking naps, I now have to share with her.

This chicken makes a lot of meals for our family. I always divide the meat into two recipes and then those recipes feed us at least twice so we get a minimum of 4 meals out of one bird. I’m sure other families could make it stretch farther but I’m happy with our arrangement. It calls for a lemon and a head of garlic each sliced in half and when it’s done, I like to use the roasted garlic in my hummus or I smash it and mix with olive oil as a bread dip or to be smeared over the chicken. If you liked roasted garlic before, just wait til you try it after it’s been roasting with lemon and the drippings… it’s out of this world. Sometimes I shred all the meat to use in recipes but sometimes I just cut the whole chicken into pieces and serve as a meal for company. Sometimes I make it when I have the time but not the need and then freeze the meat for when I actually do need it.

I’m going to let Bon Appetit give you the play by play but it’s basically salt the bird, place in skillet with lemon and garlic and olive oil (they use butter) and roast for about an hour and 20 mins. That’s it! I’m sure many of you already know how to do this but I wanted to put this out there in case there were folks who hadn’t yet discovered this simple kitchen skill.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bonappetit.com/recipe/no-fail-roast-chicken-with-lemon-and-garlic/amp