Barefoot Contessa – Back To Basics
Ina Garten
Chicken and lemon. Two of my favorite things on this planet. If there’s chicken and lemon, then I’m on board. So when I came across this recipe, I didn’t hesitate to wanted to try it. So I did.
I definitely enjoyed this dish very much and will be making it again. But I’ll wait until it’s warm enough to make it on an outdoor grill as the recipe dictates. Because it’s too cold to cook outside, I baked the chicken in the oven at 350°F for about 45 minutes to an hour, until the juices ran clear.
I made some yellow rice to accompany the chicken because rice is always the perfect side for chicken, in my humble opinion.
Ingredients:
1 (3½-pound) chicken, flattened
Kosher salt
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, halved
Sprinkle the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt on each side.
Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a ceramic or glass dish just large enough to hold the flattened chicken. Add the chicken, and turn to coat. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning once or twice.
When ready to grill, prepare a hot charcoal fire on one side of a grill (or turn on a gas grill on low heat). Spread ¼ of the coals across the other side of the grill. Place the chicken on the cooler side skin side up, and weight it down with the dish you used for marinating. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Place the lemon halves on the cool side of the grill, cut side down, for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove the chicken to a plate or cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Cut the chicken in quarters, sprinkle with salt, and serve with the grilled lemon halves.
Dinner With Diana 