Preserved Lemon and Thyme Roasted Chicken

Almost every Sunday, growing up in my house in Ireland, a roast chicken took center stage at on our table at dinner time. What makes a perfect roast chicken? in my opinion it takes three things, 1, the best quality Certified Humane Raised & Handled organic bird you can buy. 2, seasoned correctly and 3, perfecting the cooking and resting time. In this recipe I have roasted the chicken with La Vigne Organics Biodynamic Moroccan preserved lemons and fresh thyme butter.  Enjoy



Ingredients

1 three & 1/2 pound Organic chicken

 1/3 cup Organic unsalted Butter (room temp)

1 Yellow Rind of 1 La Vigne Organics Biodynamic Preserved Moroccan Lemon

1 tbs. Fresh Thyme

3 Garlic cloves

1/2 tsp. Fresh cracked black pepper

1/2 tsp. Sea salt

Mixture of preserved lemon and butter


Take the chicken out of the refrigerator 30 mins before cooking and preheat oven to 450 F.

Cut the preserved lemons into quarters and remove the rinds from the flesh.

Add butter, garlic, thyme, lemon peel to blender and blitz to paste (pausing to scrape down the sides as you go).

Place chicken on a rack in a roasting tray. Pat chicken all over with paper towel until dry. 

Rub lemon butter mix over entire surface of the chicken and season with salt and pepper, reserving a little to season the inside of the bird. 

Place the chicken in the center of the preheated oven for 20 mins. 

After 20 mins turn temp down to 350, take chicken out and bast with the melted butter and put back into the oven for another 25 - 30 mins 
or until the juices run clear and the leg bone comes away from the meat when twisted gently.

Remove from oven and rest the chicken for 20 mins, basting a couple more times before serving.  

*If given the time to rest, the meats will loose less juices when you cut into it.  And when you eat the meat will be juicier and tastier. 

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