Roasted Chicken and Potatoes with Garlic, Lemon, and Rosemary

Ingredients
3-4 pound whole chicken
1 whole bulb garlic, broken into cloves and peeled
1 large lemon
3-4 pounds potatoes, cubed
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Handful fresh thyme
2-3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
6-8 strips bacon

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375*F. 

2. Bring large pot of salted water to boil.  Tie garlic cloves in a piece of cheesecloth.  Add garlic, lemon, and potatoes to boiling water and cook for 12 minutes.  Drain and allow to steam dry for 1 minute.  Transfer potatoes into roasting pan. 

3. Rub olive oil over chicken and season well with salt and pepper.  Carefully cut the lemon 5-6 times and place in the chicken’s cavity along with thyme and garlic.  Put chicken into the roasting pan and cook for 45 minutes. 

4. Remove chicken to a plate.  Add rosemary leaves to potatoes and stir well.  Make a gap in the center of potatoes and return chicken to pan.  Lay bacon slices over chicken breast and cook for 45 more minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are cooked.  A meat thermometer should read 170*F. 

5. Remove bacon from chicken and crumble it over the potatoes.  Remove lemon and garlic from chicken.  Mash garlic and stir into potatoes.  Carve chicken and serve with potatoes. 

Comments
This recipe is from Perry’s Plate and it was delicious.  The chicken was fantastically lemony, the potatoes were extremely flavorful, and everything was lovely.  I’m still never quite sure why I used to be intimidated by roasting whole chickens when it’s really a very simple thing to do.

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