Rosemary and Cider Roast Chicken

Rosemary and Cider Roast Chicken

This recipe is not only healthy and tasty, it smells wonderful while it's cooking too. Featuring such healthy items as rosemary, apples and onions this dish is sure to please and is healthier still when the chicken is organic as recommended. 

Ingredients:


1 lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 organic roasting chicken, about 4 to 5 pounds
1 small yellow onion, peeled and quartered
1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith or Stayman, cut into quarters
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup apple cider


(As always, for the very healthiest versions of any recipe choose organic content as much as possible.)


Instructions:


1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 


2. Finely grate 1 tablespoon of zest from the lemon, mix it with half of the rosemary and set aside. 


3. Cut the lemon into quarters. Rub the entire chicken and the cavity with one of the lemon quarters, then discard it. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. 


4. Rub the cavity of the bird with the lemon zest mixture. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and stuff it with the remaining lemon and the onion and apple quarters. 


5. In a small bowl, combine the apple cider and the remaining rosemary. Pour half of this over the chicken and place it in the oven. Baste with the remaining cider mixture and the liquid in the pan at least 4 times during cooking. Roast until the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a knife, about 1 1/2 hours. 


6. Transfer to a serving platter and let rest 10 to 15 minutes before carving. 


Serving Size: 1/4 chicken


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