Roast Chicken

Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 tablespoons dried rosemary (see note in description)
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon peppercorn (the orignial recipe said to use black but i used peppercorns)
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt or 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 (3 1/2-5 lb) whole chickens

Recipe

• 1 in a mortar combine first 3 ingredients (note description that original recipe used fresh rosemary and juniper berries in addition to the garlic and peppercorns) and crush with pestle until paste forms. mix in oil.
• 2 rinse chicken and pat dry.
• 3 on a working surface, place chicken and rub 1 teaspoon or so over bone side of chicken.
• 4 turn chicken over and open chicken using poultry shears cutting through breast bones.
• 5 place chicken skin side up on working surface, loosening skin from breast and thigh meat so you can put some of the rosemary/garlic paste over the meat but under the skin. rub any remaining of the rosemary/garlic mixture over the outside of the chicken (under the wings and over all).
• 6 preheat oven to 400 degrees f.
• 7 place some rosemary sprigs (i used dried) on the bottom of a 13x9x2 baking pan.
• 8 place chicken skin side up on top of the rosemary in the pan. (***if desired the chicken can be prepared ahead up to this point, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for 8 hours - let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before proceeding.).
• 9 roast chicken uncovered for 1 - 1 1/2 hours ( i used a small chicken, so mine was ready in about 1 hour) or until meat thermomenter registers 170 degrees f.
• 10 let chicken stand for about 5-10 minutes before places on a platter and cutting into pieces.