INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large, free-range chicken
• 1 onion, chopped into large chunks
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 lemon, halved
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 15ml dried Italian herbes or dried rosemary
• salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

Step 1- Heat oven to 180 C

Step 2 – Pat chicken dry with kitchen paper towel.

Step 3 – Zest half the lemon then juice it to make a basting with salt, pepper, crushed garlic, dried Italian herbs or dried rosemary and a bit of olive oil.

Step 4- Slice the skin of the squeezed lemon and place inside the chicken cavity along with the onion and 2 sprigs of rosemary.

Step 5 – Slice the remaining lemon into thin slices and slip them underneath the chicken skin on the breast and thigh area careful not to tear the skin.

Step 6 – Take the remaining rosemary sprigs and slide them under the chicken skin on the breast area.

Step 7 – Transfer to a roasting pan and truss the chicken legs.

Step 8 – Don’t forget to tuck the wing tips under themselves so they don’t burn.

Step 9 – Roast the chicken with the feet towards the back of the oven for approximately 50-60 minutes or until the juices run clear.

Step 10 – Cover the chicken with tinfoil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.