Lemon-Basil Chicken with Vegetables
Shamelessly stolen from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook

This is one pretty-looking chicken. It graces the cover of the Betty Crocker cookbook and after salivating over it for a while I finally decided to try it when we had Ryan and Cam over for dinner one day. One thing I learned is that only cutting potatoes in half (which is what the cookbook says to do) is not going to allow them to cook all the way through.

Serves four to six.

Ingredients:

  • 3 to 3 1/2 pound broiler-fryer chicken
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp. melted margarine or butter
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 2 tsp. dried basil
  • 6 small red potatoes
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 small zucchini
  • 2 small yellow squash
  • 1 large red pepper

Heat oven to 375oF.

The cookbook has a bunch of stuff here about folding the wings and tying the drumsticks, but we skipped that step.

Grate about 2 tsp. of lemon peel and mix with the margarine and choppen garlic. Cut the lemon in half, and rub juice from one half all over the chicken. Put the sliced garlic, half the basil and the other half of the lemon inside the chicken.

Place the chicken, breast side up, on a rack in a small roasting dish. Brush the margarine mixture on the chicken, and sprinkle with the remaining basil. Press the basil into the chicken. If you want, put a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh (not touching the bone). We usually skip this as we manage to ruin every meat thermometer we've ever owned this first time we use it. They're single-use items in our house.

Roast uncovered for 30 minutes, then brush the chicken with the pan dripping. Add the potatoes, cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces, and the onion, cut into eighths. Brush veggies with the pan drippings and roast 30 more minutes. Add the zucchini, squash, and red pepper, cut small enough that they'll cook through (1/2 to 1 inch pieces). Brush with the pan drippings and roast 30 more minutes. If you used a thermometer, it should read about 180oF by now. If not, make a little cut into the thigh and see if the juice is still pink (if it is, keep cooking!). The veggies should be "crisp-tender", whatever that means. Let stand about 15 minutes for easiest carving.

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Last modified: Tue Oct 19 23:01:57 PDT 2004