Lemon Chicken and Croutons

Another from Barefoot in Paris....

This is quite possibly the MOST delicious chicken I have EVER eaten in my life! And, truth be told, I've eaten a lot of chicken.

This was INCREDIBLE!

I was worried that it would be dry. It wasn't.

I was worried that it would be tasteless. It wasn't.

I was worried that there was no gravy to go with it. It didn't matter.

If you're looking for something that is actually SUPER SIMPLE but unbelievably delicious I HIGHLY recommend this dish.

Lemon Chicken with Croutons

1 (4 to 5 pound) roasting chicken * I used one that was just over 6 pounds. There were 4 of us and we had a fair amount of leftovers.*

1 Large yellow onion sliced

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

2 Lemons, quartered *I only used one. I couldn't get two into the cavity.*

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

6 cups bread cubes *I cubed a French baguette, crust and all!*

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees

Remove giblets, etc. from chicken and wash chicken inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels. If there is any visible fat on the chicken remove it and make sure chicken is clean. IF you get a Perdue ovenstuffer or something like that you really don't have to worry about trimming it.

Toss onions with some olive oil- one to two tablespoons- and place in the bottom of small roasting pan.

Place the chicken on top of the onions and sprinkle the inside of the chicken with salt and pepper. Place quartered lemons inside of chicken cavity.

Make sure the outside of the chicken is dry then brush with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

You can tie up the legs at this point. I did not. That's only because I didn't have kitchen string. Plus, I really don't think it makes a whole huge difference!

Roast for roughly 1 1/2 hours. When the timer popped out of my chicken it was definitely done!

Remove from oven and tent with tin foil and allow to sit at room temp for at least 15 minutes.

Once you remove the chicken from the oven and tent it, heat a large skillet and add two tablespoons of olive oil until very hot. Add the bread cubes and lower heat to medium. Saute the cubes, tossing frequently and adding olive oil as necessary. You don't want them to be greasy but you don't want them dry. Season with salt and pepper during sauteing, as well. I also added a little garlic powder and onion powder for extra flavor.

Once cubes are nice and toasty arrange on a platter. Slice the chicken and lay the slices over the croutons. Season with a little bit of salt and serve.

Here is the important part that the Contessa didn't do....take the pan drippings and the onions and spoon over the chicken and croutons. It is a lovely mix of lemon and onion and chicken flavor. It was UNREAL!!

ENJOY!