Already Married Chicken (modified Engagement Chicken)

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 3 lbs whole chickens
• 4 medium lemons
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• kosher salt (to taste) or sea salt (to taste)
• ground black pepper (to taste)

Recipe

• 1 place rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 425 degrees.
• 2 wash chicken inside and out with cold water, remove the giblets, then let the chicken drain, cavity down, in a colander until it reaches room temperature (about 15 min) pat dry with paper towels.
• 3 poke a few holes in each lemon and microwave for 40 seconds (makes the lemons more juicy).
• 4 squeeze fresh lemon juice from 2 of the lemons all over the chicken.
• 5 prick a few more holes in the full lemons. place these and two of the halves of the squeezed lemons inside the chicken. place them deep inside the cavity of the chicken.
• 6 (optional) rub butter on the bottom (not the breast side) of the chicken.
• 7 sprinkle salt and pepper all over the chicken, inside and out, and under any parts of the skin which are only loosely attached.
• 8 place the chicken breast-side down on a rack in a roasting pan, bake for 15 minutes.
• 9 remove from oven and turn it breast-side up (use wooden spoons!); return it to oven for 35 minutes more. (time based on chicken size, internal temp should be ~180°, juices should run clear).
• 10 continue baking if necessary.
• 11 let chicken cool for a 15 minutes before carving.
• 12 serve with juices.
• 13 enjoy!