I call this super-simple, farm-style recipe “Picnic Chicken” because one of the most typical pique-nique meals in France involves cold, roasted chicken.  Perfectly applicable for city-dwellers as well, make it for a casual weeknight dinner served hot, then pack the rest for a Provençal picnic lunch the next day!  Unlike the rotisserie-style cooking method in my Chicken with Garlic-Herb Yogurt recipe, this is a drop-and-run technique that requires nearly no TLC for a solid hour of cook-time.  And you can still cook vegetables in the same pan: just start prepping once the chicken is in the oven, and 10-15 minutes later, scatter around the bird.  Done! 

Difficulty: 

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time:  1 hour 20 minutes

Serves 2-4 people

Ingredients:

1 ea.           Whole 3-lb Chicken

½ ea.           Lemon (reserve zest for couscous)

3 sprigs       Oregano or Marjoram

½ cup         Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVO)

                   Salt & Pepper

Technique:

•Preheat oven to 400˚F.  Rinse chicken in cold water and pat dry. 

•Cover with ¼ cup EVO, then season with salt and pepper, inside and out.  Stuff with half a lemon, oregano and the liver. 

•Truss with butcher’s twine or make a small incision in the skin between the bottom tip of the breasts and thighs, and stuff drumsticks through the skin to secure.  Stretch out wings and twist to fold tips underneath.

1. •Squeeze the lemon in the carcass into the rendered juices and spoon liberally over the portioned chicken. 
   

2. *For garnish ideas, see my recipes for:
   Leftover Chicken with Couscous and Bell Peppers
   

   

   
   or Roasted Chicken with Garlic-Herb Yogurt