One of the most relaxing things for me after a long day is to change out of the clothes I’ve been wearing all day into some comfy loungewear (or PJs), tie my hair back, and set to work in the kitchen. One of the easiest and most rewarding things to make is a whole roast chicken. It’s not like a Thanksgiving turkey. It’s easier to keep it tender and juicy for dinner and, like turkey at Thanksgiving, almost impossible to keep from picking at after dinner. The true sign of a good roast!

As long as you have a good roast chicken in your culinary arsenal, there isn’t anything you can’t accomplish. Just ask Meghan Markle! *Wink, wink* It’s actually one of my low-key favorite basic dishes. It’s incredibly delicious, yet urbanely simple and really good with rice! Which is probably the reason every culture has at least one good chicken and rice recipe… Speaking of… I think that’s one thing I would change about the Lemony-Herb Roast Chicken recipe from Good Housekeeping. I would definitely incorporate rice in the pan to soak up all those drippings from the chicken!

I like any recipe that calls for smearing a semi-soft butter compound beneath chicken skin, but this recipe takes it further with the anointing of melted butter and a dusting of classic S&P. I even went one step further and sliced up a Meyer lemon and stuffed the cavity before tying up the drumsticks. I often take the extra step to stuff the chicken cavity in order to maintain moisture and further flavor the chicken from all sides. The lemon was in the rub and in the cavity and it absolutely permeated the entire dish.

We really enjoy sauteéd radishes and their tops, but frankly I didn’t care for the radishes in this roast. I know they weren’t meant for a next step in a Panzanella salad; but unlike many other days when I’m not working my part-time job, I wasn’t in the mood to pull off a 3-recipe meal. It was late and I had to be up early for church, so I just thought the roasted radishes and onions would be fine. The onion turned out quite lovely cooked in the bright garlicky-lemony-thyme chicken broth! But the radishes on the other hand… In my humble opinion, small baby red creamer potatoes would have suited this better. They’re so creamy and pair so well with roasted meats! Sidle up with a serving of fresh green beans or steamed broccoli and you’ve got yourself quite a meal!

When there weren’t any more large pieces to carve off the chicken, I picked off the remaining bits of meat and tossed it in a bowl to build what I call a clean-out-the-fridge salad. Basically any vegetation needing to be “used up” in the fridge was chopped and tossed in along with the chicken. I threw in some cheese, some homemade croutons, and shook together a simple vinaigrette and all of a sudden, the chicken found a new purpose! If you’re not keen on salads, you could use the leftover meat for enchiladas, tacos, chicken soup, or even sandwiches! The possibilities are enumerable…

Do you remember when you had the most perfect roasted chicken? Where was it? Tell me about it in the comments below!

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