Meyer Lemon and Rosemary Roasted Chicken

A few weeks ago a colleague send me an e-mail saying she had bought a giant bag of Meyer lemons at Costco yet had no idea what to do with them. I gave her some ideas and then cheekily replied 'give me some'.

And she did!

Happy Jerry.

A Meyer lemon is a cross between a lemon and a Mandarin orange. Introduced to the United States in 1908, it’s only been in recent years that it has created a stir in Canada. I remember reading about them years ago and the mentioning online that I had never seen one. A friend in California gave me a large bag from her yard when I was next visiting California.

Meyer lemons are a beloved fruit due to their mild and sweet flavor. I can't say as if I have every eaten a regular lemon segment but I have eaten Meyer Lemon segments and there was nary a pucker . . . More orange than yellow, the Meyer lemon rind lends a delicate lemon flavor to any dish and a tangy sweet flavor that’s just perfect for cooking.

So what was I going to do with this big bag of lemons?

I decided to do a lemon roasted chicken. I googled a bit and found this recipe on a winery website (note: you can often find great recipes on winery websites - that food and wine combination, you know . . .). We whipped it up and had a brilliant dinner!

The recipe suggests adding root vegetables as you are roasting the chicken - we did carrots, parsnips, and fennel. MMMM

Meyer Lemon and Rosemary Roasted Chicken

 

1 whole Chicken (3½ to 5 lbs), rinsed and patted dry
½ yellow onion, cut in half
4 cloves garlic, cut in quarters
2 T Olive oil
6 T butter, melted
½ Meyer lemon, 1 t zest reserved, then cut in half
2 t rosemary, removed from stem and roughly chopped
2 green onion, ends removed and roughly chopped
¼ C Italian parsley, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
2 yellow onions, cut in half and sliced (for a roasting rack)
1 C Lambert Bridge Chardonnay

Preheat oven to 450°. In a small mixing bowl, combine yellow onion, garlic cloves, lemon, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and then add 1 T each of melted butter and olive oil. Tuck the wing tips underneath the breast. Stuff the cavity of the bird with onion mixture and truss the legs. Season the outside of the bird with salt and pepper.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine lemon zest, rosemary, green onions, and parsley, pulse to chop. In a stream add remaining butter and olive oil. As soon as everything is combined into a “runny” paste, immediately rub on chicken (this must be done fast so the butter does not solidify). Place chicken in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.

In a roasting pan large enough to hold the chicken, place sliced onions in the bottom of the pan. Place the bird on top of the onions and pour the wine into the pan. Roast for 20 minutes and turn down the heat to 375°, cook 45 minutes more or until juices from the leg run clear. Baste as desired. Once chicken is done remove from oven, and let rest, 10 to 15 minutes. Carve and serve.

In the roasting pan feel free to add potatoes, pearl onions, carrots, root vegetables or any thing else. Also great with mashed potatoes and pan juices.

Comments

[bellini]

Good choice Jerry. When I was on the Amalfi Coast I ate lemons right from the tree and sometimes with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

[JDeQ]

That varietal of lemons is great isn't it? I remember an amazing salmon dish that we had which used fresh lemons . . . we were so shocked at how sweet they were.

[Kayte]

Looks and sounds wonderful. Thanks for the recipe, and I also like very much the idea of your added root veggies, great combo there. This makes a beautiful presentation.

[JDeQ]

Thanks Kayte - I wish we had some natural light around here again so I could get some decent photos. However, if that is my big complaint in life then life is pretty good. :-)