Today I went to my friend Shelagh’s house in the UK for a cooking class. When I duplicated the dish for my family they went crazy for it so I thought I would share.
Lemon and Garlic Chicken with a Yogurt and Garlic Sauce
#1) Pick an organic chicken. What I didn’t realize was that chickens take on flavors based on what they were fed, so if they were fed seafood they would taste a bit fishy. Spending the money was well worth it.
#2) Rinse chicken and put in a roasting pan. Squeeze large lemon over the top of the chicken and put the lemon in the cavity of the bird.
#3) Take about 5 or 6 garlic cloves and crush them on a cutting board. Take fresh Rosemary, 1 large twig, and remove the leaves from the branch fanning backward on the stalk so leaves come off easily. (I found out that you cannot use the branch with fresh rosemary however you can with other herbs like coriander or parsley. It depends upon how thick the “branch” is.)
#4) Take about half a stick of butter which ideally has been softened and a sprinkle (about 2 teaspoons) of Kosher Sea Salt (Malden is best if you can get it.) Take your knife and chop all ingredients together and then using the side of your knife smear all ingredients across the cutting board to make a paste.
#5) Lift the skin off the chicken and gently insert the butter/garlic paste underneath the skin while keeping the skin in tact.
#6) Drizzle olive oil (2 tablespoons)over the chicken.
#7) Put 2 stalks celery chopped into 1 inch pieces inside cavity of chicken with one peeled onion, cut in half.
#8) Take additional cloves of whole garlic and stuff 3 or 4 into the cavity with skin removed and then take 3 or 4 more and tuck them under the legs and wherever else you can on the bird.
#9) Sprinkle dried rosemary, and some more salt and pepper over the top of the bird.
#10) Put the chicken into a hot oven (220 in the UK or 400 in states) for 10 minutes which crisps the chicken and locks in the juices.
#11) Turn the heat down to 180 in UK or 350 in State and cook an additional 40 minutes or until juices run clear.
#12) Take one cup of Greek yogurt and mix with 4 cloves crushed garlic.
#13) Cut chicken arrange on plate and spoon juices from the chicken over the meat and then cover with the yogurt and garlic sauce.