It's hard to beat lemon, onion and garlic with chicken! I peeled and quartered an onion, cut both a bulb of garlic and a lemon in half, and sliced two cloves of garlic into slivers. I mashed one teaspoon of salt into two tablespoons of butter.
I rubbed the butter and salt mixture all over the chicken, then stuffed the chicken with the onions, garlic bulb, and lemon. I then gently separated the skin and inserted the garlic slivers between the skin and chicken meat on all slides of the chicken.
The clay pot had been soaking in water (minimum of 15 minutes). I placed the stuffed chicken into the bottom of the clay pot and scattered the remaining onion and lemon around the pot. Then I poured chicken broth into the bottom of the pot.
I put the covered clay pot into a cold oven, and set the oven to 480 Fahrenheit.
After 75 minutes I took the cover off, checked the temp (160) and basted the chicken. I let it cook for 5 more minutes to brown.
I took the chicken out of the oven, recovered it, and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. I also poured the juices through a strainer, and discarded the lemon and vegetables. Then I reduced it by half over high heat in order to make a sauce.
Clay-Pot Roasted Chicken
1 Roasting Chicken
2 T butter, softened
1 tsp salt
1 small onion, quartered
1/2 lemon
1 bulb garlic, cut in half
2 cloves garlic, slivered
1 cup chicken broth
Soak a clay pot at least 15 minutes. I usually do 30 minutes.
Mix the butter and salt, and rub the cavity and outside of the chicken with the mixture. Slide the garlic slivers under the skin both on the breast and back of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with onion, lemon, and garlic bulb.
Place the chicken in the pot, and pour the broth into the bottom of the pot. Place the top of the clay pot over the chicken and place in the cold oven.
Set the heat to 480 Fahrenheit and set the timer to 75 minutes. Remove the cover and baste the chicken with the juices. Check the temp, and if it is 160 Fahrenheit place the uncovered chicken back in the oven for five minutes to let it brown.
Remove from the oven. Remove the chicken and pour the juices through a strainer placed in a sauce pan. Recover the chicken, and let it rest 10 minutes before slicing. Meanwhile, discard the vegetables and bring the broth to a boil. Stirring vigorously, reduce the broth by half to make a pain sauce.