Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken with New Potatoes

Ingredients

• ●1 whole chicken (3½ to 4 pounds)
• ●1½ pounds new potatoes (small ones, halved; leave tiny ones whole)
• ●2 lemons
• ●1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
• ●4 sprigs fresh thyme
• ●4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• ●3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• ●2 tablespoons softened butter
• ●Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ●½ cup dry white wine or chicken stock

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F). Take the chicken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes ahead.
2. Toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, half the garlic cloves, salt, and pepper. Spread them in a single layer in a large roasting pan or cast-iron skillet.
3. Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels — this is the secret to crispy skin.
4. Zest one lemon and mix the zest with the softened butter, a big pinch of salt, and pepper. Gently loosen the skin over the breasts and thighs and spread the butter mixture underneath, directly on the meat.
5. Cut the zested lemon in half. Stuff the cavity with both lemon halves, the remaining garlic cloves, and half the herb sprigs.
6. Rub the outside of the chicken with the remaining olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Tuck the remaining herb sprigs around the bird.
7. Set the chicken on top of the potatoes, breast side up. Pour the wine or stock into the pan around (not over) the bird.
8. Roast for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the juices run clear when you pierce the thigh and the internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F). If the skin is browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil.
9. Rest the chicken on a cutting board for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir the potatoes in the pan juices — they'll have absorbed all that lemony, herby, chickeny goodness.
10. Carve and serve with the potatoes and a squeeze of the second lemon.
11. *Storage:** Leftover chicken keeps refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. Use the carcass for stock — simmer with an onion, carrot, celery, and water for 2 hours.
12. *Seasonal note:** New potatoes — the small, thin-skinned ones that appear at farmers' markets in late spring — are starchier and creamier than mature potatoes. They don't need peeling and they roast beautifully. If you can't find new potatoes, small Yukon Golds work well.