Mediterranean "Pollo al Limón" (Roasted Lemon Chicken)

Let me just get this confession out in the open: I'm not a fan of chicken. I don't order chicken dishes at restaurants and I seldom ever cook it at home. I'm just not a "chicken person." Period, end of story.

MY HUSBAND, however, is a different story. If it were up to him, we'd eat chicken every day.

I so abhor eating poultry in general that I tend to avoid the isle altogether when grocery-shopping. Yet somehow, this grass-fed organic whole chicken caught my eye today--and I just went for it, no questions asked. As deprived as I keep my marriage of poultry dishes, I knew Hubby's eyes would light up at the mere sight of a chicken in the fridge. A whole chicken. In our fridge. At last!

As I drove home with my newly-acquired chicken, the car's open sunroof revealed a sunny, gloriously blue autumn sky above; and outside, the air still too warm to inspire a stew or soup of any kind. "Maybe if I use lemons and some rosemary from the garden..."

Then my mother's savory "Pollo al Limón" came to mind. I'm talking about a dish so tasty that nobody, including a chicken-phobe like myself, could refuse. This dish is comfort food of the highest degree; a simple yet elegant, restrained dish cleverly combining just the right amount of unctuous olive-oily goodness and citrusy brightness to become perfect for any occasion--or time of year.

Using a little poetic license (and the foggy childhood recollection of my mother's recipe), I set out to create my own classic. The result was a moist, succulent chicken dish--permeated with delicate tones of citrus, garlic and herbs, and topped with a layer of crispy skin that may as well be categorized as edible gold.

Read on to see how it went down--and to make your own.

Gather your Ingredients

This is a simple dish, made with equally simple ingredients and loaded with savory, fresh flavors--the quintessential definition of Mediterranean cuisine. To make this dish most successful, be sure to use the highest quality ingredients you can afford or find locally--organic and free-range will go a long way here. For two (generous) servings you'll need:

1 whole chicken (4 lbs.), giblets and neck removed
1/3 cup olive oil (preferrably infused with lemon or lime)
4 lemons and/or limes, cut into wedges
10 to 15 fresh garlic cloves, peeled
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Fresh rosemary sprigs
Dried oregano, coarse salt, and pepper (to taste)

Get Cooking

Preheat the oven to 475F degrees. Separate the garlic into cloves, then smash them with the blade of a large kitchen knife, positioned sideways (parallel to your cutting board). This will facilitate the peeling process, and the bruising will help the garlic release its natural oils.

Cut the citrus into wedges, keep the peeled garlic cloves whole, and thoroughly wash the rosemary sprigs.

Pat-dry the chicken using paper towels. Fill the cavity using 5 cloves garlic, 5 wedges of lemon or lime, and a sprig of rosemary. Place in a baking dish with the breast facing up, and tie the drumsticks together using kitchen twine (or, in lack thereof, you can use a satin ribbon for extra glamour like I did. This little fella deserves to go out in style, anyway.) Neatly tuck in the wings while you're at it.

Pour a generous glug of the olive oil over the chicken, then use your hands to rub all over the chicken's skin like it's suntan lotion :-)

Sprinkle generously with dried oregano leaves, coarse salt, and pepper. Surround the chicken with the remaining peeled garlic cloves, citrus wedges and rosemary sprigs.

Roast uncovered at 450F (475F if cooking in high altitudes) for about 15 minutes, or until the skin looks taught and you can no longer discern "goosebumps" on it.

Remove from the oven and lightly tent the chicken with aluminum foil. Lower the oven's temperature to 350F, and allow the chicken to rest covered in foil, while you wait for your oven's temperature to re-adjust. If you have two ovens in your kitchen, allow to rest at least 5 minutes before switching.

KEEPING the aluminum foil cover loosely tented as shown below, re-insert the chicken into the oven. Bake at 350F for 50 to 60 minutes (or until juices run clear when pierced).

Remove the chicken from the oven, and select the "broil" setting. While the oven reheats to higher temperature, spread the cherry tomatoes around the the baking dish, atop the garlic and citrus. At this point, juices will have rendered and you'll have a nice liquid base to help steam the tomatoes once it all goes back in the oven.

Broil, UNCOVERED, for about 5 to 7 minutes--or until the skin acquires a golden, crisp texture.

Remove from oven and transfer onto a cutting board. Allow chicken to "rest" and cool down for about 10 minutes before carving.

Carve into quarters and gently spoon the cherry tomatoes onto the plate as accompaniment. Strain the pan juices, discarding the rosemary sprigs and garlic; then pour some of this savory, lemony goodness over the chicken as you would an "au jus" sauce. The liquid should be light and clear in texture, like a broth.

Lastly, serve it to someone truly deserving of all the effort, and watch their face light up after they take their first bite!

PANTRY QUEEN TIP:
If you love garlic as much as I do, don't throw away the garlic cloves you had to remove from the baking pan prior to serving. Instead, pick them out and refrigerate in a Ziplock baggie or airtight container, to make compounded butter.