Recipe: Lemon-Garlic Roasted Chicken with Garlic Sauce

Ingredients:

1 Chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)
Salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1/2 lemon
4 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled, left whole
5 to 6 sprigs fresh rosemary Garlic Sauce (recipe follows)
Additional rosemary sprigs and lemon wedges for garnish


Directions:

Rinse Chicken; pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper, and rub the skin with butter. Place lemons, garlic and rosemary in cavity of chicken. Tuck wings under back and tie legs together with cotton string.

Arrange medium-low charcoal on each side of a rectangular metal or foil drip pan. Pour in hot tap water to fill pan half full. Place chicken, breast side up, on grid, directly above the drip pan. Grill chicken, on a covered grill, about 1 hour until meat thermometer inserted in thigh registers 175 degrees to 180 degrees. For until the joints move easily and juices run clear when chicken is pierced.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare Garlic Sauce. When chicken is done, carefully lift it from the grill to wide shallow bowl so that all the juices from the cavity run into the bowl.

Garlic Sauce:

2 tablespoon olive oil
1 large head or garlic, cloves separated and peeled
2 (1 inch wide) strips lemon peel
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) low salt chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 sprig each sage and oregano or 2 to 3 sprigs parsley
1/4 cup butter softened

Directions:

Heat oil in a saucepan; add garlic clove and lemon peel; saute over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until garlic juice starts to brown in a few spots. Add broth, water and herbs;

 simmer to reduce mixture to blender or food processor; process until smooth. Return garlic puree to the saucepan and whisk in butter over very low heat until smooth. Sauce can be re-warmed.

Finally Carve your chicken; serve with Garlic Sauce and cooking juices. Garnish with additional rosemary sprigs and lemon wedges.


** sorry was not able to take a pic of the chicken after the sauce was mixed with it :)