Lemon-Thyme Roasted Chicken

This really perks up otherwise routine roasted chicken.  The flavor of the lemon and thyme infuse the meat and the brining leaves even the white meat tender and juicy.  I like to do this with the rotisserie attachment for our Weber kettle, but it works just as well oven roasted.

1 4-5 pound	roasting chicken
2 recipes	slow brining solution, chilled (½ gallon in all) (see note)
1 tablespoon	dried thyme
2 tablespoons	lemon-pepper
zest of whole lemon
juice of whole lemon

Put 1 cup of the brining solution into a small sauce pan along with the thyme and lemon zest.  Bring just to a boil, remove from heat and allow to sit until it has cooled down.  Put the washed, whole chicken into a 1 or 2 gallon zip lock baggie (see notes).  Pour the lemon-thyme brining solution into the baggie, and then add the remaining brining solution.  Press as much air as possible out of the baggie, seal the top and brine the bird in the fridge for 3 hours (turning every 30-45 minutes.)

When the chicken has finished brining remove from the baggie, discarding the brining solution, rinse with fresh water, and pat dry with paper towels.  Sprinkle inside and out with the lemon-pepper and roast at 350° for about an hour until done.  You can roast it the traditional way in the oven, butter flied (one of my favorites), grilled indirectly or rotisseried.  A couple of times during the roasting brush the bird with the reserved lemon juice.  Any way you choose this bird is going to melt in your mouth!

 

Notes:

1. Brining should always be done with the solution at refrigerator temperature.
2. If you only have a one gallon baggie the entire amount of the brining solution may not fit along with the chicken.  This is alright, the brining process will still work fine.