Lemon-Rosemary Roast Chicken with Potatoes Recipe

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken; trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breasts and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat.
3. Combine 1 tablespoon oil, rosemary, rind, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and garlic in a small bowl. Rub seasoning mixture under loosened skin and over breasts and drumsticks. Tie ends of legs together with twine. Lift wing tips up and over back, and tuck under chicken. Place chicken, breast side up, on a rack coated with cooking spray, and place rack in a roasting pan.
4. Toss potatoes with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Arrange potato mixture evenly around chicken. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes.
5. Increase oven temperature to 450°, and bake an additional 20 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in meaty part of thigh registers 170°. Remove chicken from pan; let stand 15 minutes. Sprinkle the potatoes with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
6. Remove skin from chicken; discard. Carve chicken, and serve with potatoes and lemon wedges.
7. Wine note: Roast chicken is very versatile with wine, and so are the seasonings used here. In the winter, I'll usually serve this dish with an earthy red wine like pinot noir. But now, with summer approaching, I prefer Beaujolais, an exuberantly fruity red best served slightly chilled. Try George Dubeouf's Fleurie Beaujolais 2004 ($12). -Karen MacNeil