Roast Chicken with Preserved Lemon & Braised Vegetables

The pulp and rind of Moroccan preserved lemons is all you need to lift a pedestrian roast chicken into the realm of the unforgettable flavor!

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Cook Time:
20 mins
Additional Time:
2 hrs 25 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 45 mins
Servings:
6
Yield:
6 servings, with some leftovers

Ingredients

  • 2 preserved lemons, (see Shopping Tip), cut in half

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

  • ¾ teaspoon salt

  • 1 4-pound chicken, giblets removed

  • 2 cups baby carrots

  • 2 cups diced celery

  • ½ cup diced onion

  • 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

  • 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

  2. Scrape the pulp from the lemons with a spoon; discard the seeds. Finely dice the rinds. Combine half the pulp, half the rind, pepper and salt in a small bowl. Reserve the remaining rind and pulp.

  3. With your fingers, loosen the skin over the chicken breasts and thighs to make pockets, being careful not to tear the skin. Rub the lemon pulp mixture under the skin and onto the breast and thigh meat.

  4. Combine carrots, celery and onion in a medium baking dish or roasting pan. Sprinkle with half of the reserved rind and the remaining pulp. Add broth. Set the chicken on top of the vegetables. Tie parsley together with kitchen string. Place the remaining rind and the parsley inside the chicken cavity.

  5. Roast the chicken, basting with pan juices occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours.

  6. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board; let rest for 15 minutes. Transfer the vegetables and pan juices to a serving dish. Discard the parsley. Remove the skin and carve the chicken. Skim or blot any visible fat from the vegetables. Serve the chicken with the vegetables.

Tips

Equipment: Kitchen string

Shopping tip: Preserved lemons are lemons that have been soaked in a salt-lemon mixture for at least 30 days. Their salty sourness is a signature flavor in Moroccan dishes. Find them at specialty-food stores or online at mustaphas.com.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

161 Calories
6g Fat
6g Carbs
23g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Calories 161
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 23g 45%
Total Fat 6g 7%
Saturated Fat 2g 8%
Cholesterol 64mg 21%
Vitamin A 196IU 4%
Vitamin C 23mg 26%
Folate 22mcg 6%
Sodium 657mg 29%
Calcium 45mg 3%
Iron 1mg 8%
Magnesium 27mg 6%
Potassium 379mg 8%

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.

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