Roasted Chicken

Sometimes the simplicity of a roasted chicken dinner hits the spot.  I especially like that it is easy to prepare and very forgiving.  This chicken is no exception, it does call for fresh basil and lemon, but I have used dried basil and omitted the lemon when I didn't have one.   I also like to put wine in the pot, if I have some leftover.  It seems that whatever I throw in, it always produces a great roasted chicken!


Roasted Chicken:
click here for printable version
adapted from For the Love of Cooking


1- 4-5 pound chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lemon
1 handful fresh basil
salt
pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
dried basil
6-8 cloves garlic
1 onion, quartered
1 pound (or more if you want them) potatoes, peeled and quartered


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Rinse and dry the chicken.

Squeeze the lemon juice all over the chicken and put halves inside the chicken along with the fresh basil, garlic and some of the onion.  Season outside of chicken liberally with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and dried basil.  Put potatoes and remaining onion in a large Dutch oven, add olive oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and dried basil.  Set chicken on top of potatoes.

Cover and put in oven for 1.5-2 hours, checking the temperature with a thermometer at 1.5 hours.  The breast should read 170, the thigh 180 degrees.
Remove and let rest for about 10 minutes.