urban odds & ends

This is a perfect sunday dinner dish and really easy. But it's not recommendable preparing the dish with hunger, the divine smell coming out of the oven will drive you insane ;)

Lemony Roasted Chicken with Rosemary Potatoes
adapted from Jamie Oliver - Jamie's Dinners p. 32

1 chicken, preferable free-range
1kg potatoes, peeled and cut in mouthsized pieces
1 large lemon
5 gloves of garlic, unpeeled
a handful of fresh thyme
a handful of fresh rosemary
4 rashers of smoked bacon
olive oil
salt & pepper

Preheat your oven to 190°C. Bring a large pot of water with a good amount of salt to boil and throw in potatoes, lemon and the garlic gloves. After about 12 minutes drain it and allow to steam dry for about 2 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking take the chicken out of the fridge and rub it (yeah!) with salt, pepper and oil. Then take the lemon out of the colander and stab it a few times all over with a sharp knife. Push it with the garlic and thyme in the cavity. Honestly, this step grossed me a little bit out and it costed me quite an effort but it wasn't that bad. I think the chicken won't charge that I  invaded its private sphere ;)
Now... put the chicken on a roasting tray and cook it in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove it and put the chicken on a plate and toss the potatoes in the chicken fat. Make a whole in the middle and put the chicken in. Lay the rashers over the chicken breast and cook it for another 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

For serving it is nice to crumble the bacon over the potatoes and smear the garlic, which you can squeeze out of his skin and mash up, over the chicken.