This very well could be the most flavorful roast chicken recipes I have ever tried. The origin of the recipe?  The incomparable Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) of the Food Network and cookbook fame, who if you follow her show, you know that she cooks a roast chicken for her husband, Jeffrey just about every Friday night.  Perhaps not the same version every Friday, but each version she suggests that I have tried has been equally easy and wonderful.

This ‘Friday Night chicken’ for example is first spatchcocked, which sounds strange, but simply put it means that the back bone of the chicken is removed and the chicken butterflied so that it lays flat.  This way, it cooks quicker in the oven seeing that it has more surface area in the pan. Next, you make a rub for the chicken made with olive oil, fresh thyme, salt, pepper, and fragrant fennel seeds. The flavored chicken is then laid in an oven-proof skillet over sliced onions, garlic and lemon slices.  Everything is roasted for a bit, then some white wine is added to the pan for added moisture and flavor.

Once the chicken is fully cooked, you squeeze it with lemon juice and allow it to rest for about 15 minutes.  The chicken itself is so moist and tender, and the sauce underneath…incredible. The lemons become so caramelized and juicy that you can eat them just as they are.  Such a lovely lemony chicken that I look forward to making again and again.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/skillet-roasted-lemon-chicken-3517965 )

Tagged: Barefoot Contessa, butterflied chicken, chicken, fennel seeds, fresh herbs, fresh thyme, garlic, Ina Garten, lemon chicken, lemons, olive oil, onions, roast chicken, skillet-roasted chicken, skillet-roasted lemon chicken, spatchcocked chicken, The Barefoot Contessa, The Food Network, www.FoodNetwork.com