Ingredients:

  • 1 whole chicken (about 3-4 lbs / 1.3-1.8 kg), giblets removed
  • 1 large lemon
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon dried Italian herb blend (or a mix of dried rosemary, thyme, oregano)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 onion, quartered (optional)
  • 2 carrots, roughly chopped (optional)
  • 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
  2. In a small bowl, combine minced garlic, olive oil, dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Zest the lemon into the bowl, then cut the lemon in half.
  3. Rub the lemon herb paste all over the chicken, including under the skin of the breast. Squeeze the juice from one half of the lemon all over the chicken. Place the squeezed lemon half inside the chicken cavity. Add the other lemon half into the cavity.
  4. Scatter quartered onion, chopped carrots, and chopped celery in the bottom of the roasting pan. Place the chicken on the rack over the vegetables (or directly on the vegetables if not using a rack).
  5. Roast in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F (74°C). Baste the chicken with pan juices every 20-30 minutes.
  6. Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.
  7. Carve the chicken and serve immediately with pan juices.