Source:

Peek

Serves/Makes:4 or more

Ingredients

• 3 lbs (1.4 kg). to 4 lbs (1.8 kg). chicken
• 2 to 3 thin skinned lemons
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 1 Tbsp (15 ml). coarse salt
• 1 cup (225 ml) water

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees (200 C.).
• Remove giblets and excess fat from chicken cavity and rinse and clean well.
• Roll lemons to soften them.
• Pierce each lemon with skewer in about 20 places.
• Peel garlic and put through garlic press.
• In a small bowl, mash garlic with salt.
• When you have a nice, fragrant paste, smear half of it in chicken s cavity.
• Next, put lemons into the cavity of the chicken, truss the chicken.
• Rub the rest of salt-garlic paste outside of chicken.
• Put chicken on rack in roasting pan with the water on the bottom of the pan.
• It is not necessary to baste.
• Bake chicken 1 hour, or until the drumstick just begins to move in socket.
• After roasting and prior to serving, remove lemons from chicken s cavity.
• Serve the pan juices to drizzle over the slices or pieces served for a special touch.

Comments

This goes wonderfully with rice Pilaf and steamed carrots and broccoli for a simple but elegant dinner for your family or dinner parties.

I have used this method on smaller turkeys and increased the number of lemons, garlic and salt and the liquid. You will need to baste the bird every 30 minutes or so to keep it moist and tender and develop a good skin-crust The result is spectacular.

I have also used half water and half a light white wine for a great flavor enhancement when you know you are going to use the drippings, if you have to add liquid during cooking, use water.