Marcella Hazan's Roast Chicken with Lemons

I saw this chicken recipe recently posted by my friend Mari at Once Upon a Plate.  Mari writes one of my favorite blogs. If you've never visited her blog, pour yourself a beverage and settle in, you're in for a treat.

My favorite way to prepare roast chicken is a time consuming process that requires at 8-24 hours, but sometimes time is limited and a quick technique like this one by Marcella Hazan is in order.  It just doesn't get much easier than this - one chicken, two lemons, and a little salt and pepper.  That's it, and you end up with the most wonderfully juicy and delicious bird.  Let's walk through to process.

Aside from a clean, dry, and seasoned-with-salt-and-pepper chicken, you'll need 2 lemons, a toothpick, and an oven-safe roasting pan like this cast iron number.  I lined my pan with a parchment circle as suggested by someone online, but I won't bother next time - Marcella's recipe states it isn't necessary.

Okay, roll each lemon on the counter; pressing firmly to get the juices flowing (allow lemons to come to room temperature for the best results).  Then poke each lemon 20 or so times with the toothpick and place both lemons, whole, right inside the cavity of the well seasoned bird.  Use the toothpick to hold the cavity closed.

Use a little kitchen twine to tie hold the legs together.  The chicken will plump up as it roasts and if you skip this step the bird will won't have a very "polite" presentation on your table.  Now, into the roasting pan BREAST SIDE DOWN (no oil or butter needed).  Roast at 350F for about 30 minutes.

Then flip the bird over so the breast is facing up and increase the oven temp to 400F.  Continue to roast until the bird is done (about 20 minutes for each pound), or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165F.

Note

• I didn't realize the recipe called for a 3-4 pound bird until I had already purchased a nearly 7 pounder, but I adjusted the cooking time accordingly (as directed above) and it turned out fine.  I reserved the pan drippings and carcass to make homemade chicken stock.

Sloppy Joe Sandwiches

This recipe comes straight from my Mother-in-law's Central Pennsylvania recipe file.  Folks living in that area frequently refer to ground beef as "Hamburg".  I don't know why they do that, but my sister and I have always been tempted to say, "The word is hamburGER - Hamburg is a city in Germany!!!!"  And although correct, it wouldn't be very nice so we keep our lips sealed.

At any rate, this is a classic recipe that's easy to throw together on a busy weeknight, especially if you have cooked ground beef or turkey in the freezer.  I brown 5-10 pounds at a time, in small batches.  For every pound of ground beef or turkey, I start off by sauteing 1 chopped onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic in a bit of olive oil; add the ground meat and kosher salt and pepper to taste.  I drain, cool, and divide into 1 pound portions in freezer safe containers - great for quick meals like these sloppy joes, meat sauce, lasagna, soup, nachos, tacos, etc.

Sloppy Joe Sandwiches

makes 4-6

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound cooked and seasoned ground beef or turkey

• 1/2 cup ketchup

• 3 tablespoons chili sauce

• 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

• 1 teaspoon celery seeds

Directions

1. Combine ingredients in a medium, heavy bottomed sauce pan.

2. Heat to desired temp; stirring occasionally.

3. Serve on hamburger buns.