Baking A Whole Chicken

I love to regularly bake a whole chicken. This time I got a special "Poultry Seasoning" pack filled with fresh rosemary, thyme, and oregano at our local grocery store and put most of the herbs inside the chicken with sliced lemons.

I cut some of the rind off the lemons, but not all of it. Then I added the rest of the herbs around the chicken.

This is the process I follow usually over a two day period...

• Brine the raw chicken, to get the crispy skin. Get a big pot filled with water and add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sea salt (enough to cover the chicken once immersed). Let it sit up to 4 hrs. or over night. I like to make sure the chicken is on its back in the water so it's in the salt water.
• Then pour out the water and pat the chicken dry. Put it back in the pot, on it's belly, and let it sit in the refrigerator for a few more hours.
• When I'm ready to bake the chicken I drizzle butter or oil over it and sprinkle sea salt, garlic powder, and black pepper and rub it all in.
• Stuff inside the chicken all the herbs and sliced lemons.
• Bake at 375 deg. for 1 hr. and 45 min.
• Internal heat should be 165 deg. before done.

Nice and crispy skin.

We love serving it with roasted or steamed veggies, mashed cauliflower, and salad. The chicken is reflecting light from my bright orange shirt.
There is also plenty of meat for leftovers for the next few days.