Roast Chicken with Lemon and Crispy Skin
Main Dishes • European
Description
If you manage to cut the chicken into 4 pieces, logically, it can serve 4 people. However, in reality, it turns out that it is not very filling, even with potatoes. Therefore, I roast 1 chicken weighing 1.5–1.7 kg for two. If there are more people, the number of chickens should double. But I still indicated 4 servings. The skin turned out quite golden (we like it that way), but if it seems too dark to you, cover the chicken with foil about 10 minutes before it is done. I often serve meat with healthy sides, particularly vegetables, but this time there were no vegetables or even salad leaves at home, so I decided to serve it with fried potatoes.
Ingredients
- Poultry 5 lbs
- 20% Sour Cream 5 tablespoons
- Lemon 1 piece
- Meyer Lemon Juice 3 tablespoons
- Chopped Green Onions to taste
- Ground Black Pepper to taste
- Garlic 3 cloves
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1
If the chicken was purchased frozen, take it out of the freezer a day before roasting, place it in a deep container, and let it thaw on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. If you bought a fresh chicken, you're lucky — there's nothing extra to do.
Step 2
Once the chicken is thawed, rinse it and pat it dry with a paper towel. Place it in a clean deep container.
Step 3
In a deep bowl, mix the sour cream with finely chopped dill, minced garlic, lemon juice, and freshly ground black pepper. If desired, you can also add chicken seasoning, paprika, or any other spices to taste. Chicken pairs well with thyme, but at this time of year, it is not sold in any form. If you are lucky enough to have a couple of sprigs or a pinch of thyme, feel free to add it!
Step 4
Cut the lemon into quarters and place it inside the chicken. Generously coat the chicken with the prepared sour cream-lemon sauce and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. If possible, let it marinate for about 10 minutes, but you can roast it immediately. Place it in a baking dish and put it in a preheated oven at 445°F. This is where the experiments begin. The thing is, I don't have an oven at all, and for several years I've been using an air fryer. Therefore, in my case, the chicken roasts for 1.5 hours at 480°F (since it cooks food only from the top). If you have an oven, start with 230 degrees for 40 minutes, then add 10 minutes until done.
Step 5
Check the readiness of the chicken: pierce the thickest part of the body — the thigh — with a fork or knife; if clear juice runs out or nothing comes out at all, the chicken is likely done. 'Likely done' means that there are possibilities — you can cut the seemingly cooked chicken and see that the meat inside is raw. In that case, put the chicken back in the oven and cook it until done.
Step 6
Remove the cooked chicken, cut it into serving pieces, and serve with a side dish.
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