This winter has been interminable, and my family has bravely fought stress, illness and endless gray skies. But still, a feeling of ennui has overcome us. There are few things more comforting than roasted chicken; it is “mama food”: The way I tell my tribe that we will all get through these rough times with a full belly. Roasting the chicken on top of fresh rosemary and lemon makes the house smell amazing, while the sour-sweet combination of the lemon and honey parallels our lives right now. The spicy shallots cook down into a mellow sweetness, which serves as a little reminder that with time difficult days can turn to fond memories. Serve this dish with mashed sweet potatoes (The pan juices work perfectly with the potatoes.), or whatever vegetable pleases your family. For us, it’s green beans boiled in super salty water for three minutes, served with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Honey Rosemary Chicken Adapted by Dee Ryan from a recipe originally published on Bon Appétit.
Serves 4
1/3 cup olive oil
¼ cup honey
2 small lemons
5 to 6 sprigs fresh rosemary, washed and dried
1 whole chicken, cut into serving-size pieces
8 shallots, peeled and halved
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, honey and the juice from 1 lemon (about ¼ cup).
• Lay the rosemary in the bottom of a roasting pan or Dutch oven. Lay the chicken pieces on top of the rosemary.
• Gently lift the skin from the meat and drizzle the lemon-honey mixture directly onto each piece of chicken. Brush the remaining lemon-honey mixture over the chicken.
• Cut the remaining lemon into 6 round slices and place the rounds on top of the chicken pieces.
• Scatter the shallots around the chicken pieces and place the pan or Dutch oven, uncovered, in the oven for 30 minutes, basting every 15 minutes. Then, increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees, and roast the chicken for 10 more minutes.
• Check the temperature in one of the breast pieces. When it has reached 160 degrees, it is safe to remove from the oven.
• Let sit for 10 minutes and serve with the pan juices.
This article appears in April 2013.