Garlic-Lemon Roasted Chicken

Grandma Trigg used to make large dishes of what she called Lemon Chicken for us when my brothers and I were growing. Sometimes she’d make it in the oven, sometimes in her countertop electric skillet. Either way, it was packed full of caramelized onions, garlic powder, lemon juice, olive oil, and a heavy dose of Cavender’s Greek Seasoning. She always made it using bone-in chicken pieces, and it was never served without rice so you had something to sop up all of those flavor-packed pan drippings. It’s definitely near the top of my comfort food list.

These days, we’re eating less meat, but when we do we’re trying to buy from local farms. I’ve taken to purchasing whole chickens because it’s much more affordable, allowing us to be able to support these farms and their practices without breaking the budget. Whole chickens do take longer to cook than pieces, so to make it cook faster, I spatchcocked this one. (Spatchcock is just a fancy word for removing the backbone and flattening it. Serious Eats has a great tutorial if you haven’t done this before!) And, as much as I love a convenient spice like garlic powder, I love roasted garlic cloves and swapped out my grandmother’s go-to with lots of fresh cloves (about 5 heads to be exact!). This roasted chicken is loaded with flavor and will certainly satisfy any comfort food needs.

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GARLIC-LEMON ROASTED CHICKEN

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (4-pound) whole chicken (let rest at room temperature
  for 30 minutes for more even cooking)

• 1½ teaspoon kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 30 cloves garlic, peeled

• 2 heads garlic, tops cut off

• 1 small sweet onion cut into wedges

• 1 large lemon, half thinly sliced, half reserved

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425F. 

2. Place chicken on a cutting board, breast side down. Find the backbone and remove, cutting on either side with kitchen shears. Flip bird over, slightly opening the cut side like a book. Press the heels of your palms in the center of the breasts until the bone snaps. Press until the chicken lies flat. Place chicken, breast side up, in a 13x9-inch baking pan, and tuck wing tips under breasts.

3. In a small bowl, stir together salt, lemon zest, and pepper. Rub chicken with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and sprinkle with lemon-pepper mixture. Toss peeled garlic cloves and onion with remaining 2 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange garlic cloves and onion, heads of garlic, and lemon slices around chicken. Squeeze reserved lemon half over onions and garlic.

4. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400F and continue cooking until skin is golden brown and a meat thermometer registers 165 when inserted in the thickest portion (between breast and thigh). Remove from oven. Let chicken rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

We enjoyed this sliced and served over couscous mixed with fresh herbs and topped with the roasted garlic and onions and a drizzle of pan drippings.

Save the Bones and Make Stock

The benefits of cooking a whole chicken go beyond enjoyment of the initial roast. The bones offer so much flavor and goodness that they absolutely shouldn’t be wasted! Pick all of the meat off the bones and combine them with a quartered onion, roasted garlic skins or a new head of garlic, celery or parsley if you have any, any remaining roasted lemon slices, a teaspoon of black peppercorns and a few bay eaves. Cover with water. Bring to a gentle simmer and let cook partially covered for 2 to 3 hours. Strain and discard solids. Stock can be frozen for several months or refrigerated and used within a week.

Don’t have time to make stock right away? Freeze the bones along with any vegetable scraps from cooking and make stock when you’re ready. Just respect the animal and don’t waste those bones.

Grandma Trigg's Cuban Black Beans

If you’ve arrived here without reading the short essay introduction, I encourage you to head over there - it really is short, I promise. If you’ve arrived here from there, I have to tell you that, for me, these beans come with so many more memories than just those of culture and heritage. Not too long after she learned to cook, my grandmother forced an untimely kitchen renovation while cooking these beans in a pressure cooker...which exploded, starting a fire in said kitchen. Or the time she managed to include some accidental ingredients in them like picture hanging wall hooks - her own unintentional version of King's Cake. Thankfully, my brother Henry didn't swallow it; however, to his dismay, he also hadn’t won a prize.  But there are also the times she would make pot after pot of beans just to give away to people who needed a hot meal. Or, all the times she would slip Jennifer (her cat..) pieces of the roasted pork she would always make along with these beans. I promise this recipe comes picture-hanger-free but with all the love of my grandmother.

This is me at the 5th grade International Fair (hellllo 90s eye glasses) setting up a table about Cuba and passing out samples of Grandma's black beans.

There has to be some intentional ironic metaphor in here from Grandma about aging, but these beans really do get better with time. I recommend making them the day before you plan on eating (and hopefully sharing) them, or at least cook them and let them rest for several hours before serving. You can obviously eat them right away but trust me, it’s worth the extra bit of patience and time. I typically make a double batch so that I can freeze a few containers. They’re so easy to heat up for a quick meal, and the flavor is that much better.

Traditionally, these beans are served over white rice with fried sweet (ripe) plantains, green salad or fresh cabbage, roasted Cuban style pork and mojo covered yuca. If you forgo the whole feast, I suggest at least serving with plantains or salad, but definitely over rice. Freeze any leftovers or keep them in the fridge for up to two weeks and stir in an additional teaspoon or two of balsamic vinegar when reheating.

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Grandma Trigg’s Cuban Black Beans

Makes 8 to 10 servings

ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 small sweet onion, diced

• 1 bell pepper, diced

• 1 head of garlic, peeled and minced (yes, for real; 2 if you’re a garlic lover, like me)

• 3 cups dried black beans

• 5 cups water

• 3 tablespoons freshly ground cumin (4 Tbsp if using pre-ground)

• 4 teaspoons dried oregano

• 2 bay leaves

• 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 1 - 2 teaspoons kosher salt

method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the onions, peppers and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes, just until the onions and peppers start to soften and release their juices. Add the ground cumin and continue sautéing for a couple of minutes.

2. Add the beans, oregano, bay leaves and water. Stir until all of these ingredients are well combined. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and slowly bring to a low simmer. Cover and continue cooking until the beans have softened to your liking, about 2 hours. Try to keep the pot at a low simmer rather than a boil. If you find the beans start to boil with the lid on, just remove the lid and stir often. Add additional water, if needed.

3. Once the beans are cooked to your preference, add the balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp salt. Cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add any additional salt to taste. Cook for another 20 minutes, if you want your beans thicker rather than soupy. Beans can be served right away, but for better flavor, turn off the heat and let them rest for a few hours or overnight. Reheat and finish off with a healthy drizzle of olive oil before serving.

You can use canned black beans instead of dried if you don’t have time to plan ahead. Sub four 12 oz cans (drained) for the dried beans and add 4 cups of water or enough to just cover the beans.

If you haven't ever cooked with dried black beans, please note that different varieties will lose a varying amount of their deep color. You haven't done anything wrong if your beans start to look reddish brown or even grey as they cook. They will darken as they sit/cool, but still may lose some of their black tone. They'll taste delicious either way. Personally, I’ve found Camellia brand dried beans best for maintaining color and cooking faster.

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Grandma in Cuba - 1946

Grandma in Alabama - late 1990s

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Cuban Black Bean

Yield: 8 to 10

Author: Sarah Ward

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small sweet onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 head of garlic, peeled and minced (yes, for real; 2 if you’re a garlic lover, like me)
• 3 cups dried black beans
• 5 cups water
• 3 tablespoons freshly ground cumin (4 Tbsp if using pre-ground)
• 4 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 - 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Instructions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the onions, peppers and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes, just until the onions and peppers start to soften and release their juices. Add the ground cumin and continue sautéing for a couple of minutes.
2. Add the beans, oregano, bay leaves and water. Stir until all of these ingredients are well combined. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and slowly bring to a low simmer. Cover and continue cooking until the beans have softened to your liking, about 2 hours. Try to keep the pot at a low simmer rather than a boil. If you find the beans start to boil with the lid on, just remove the lid and stir often. Add additional water, if needed.
3. Once the beans are cooked to your preference, add the balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp salt. Cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add any additional salt to taste. Cook for another 20 minutes, if you want your beans thicker rather than soupy. Beans can be served right away, but for better flavor, turn off the heat and let them rest for a few hours or overnight. Reheat and finish off with a healthy drizzle of olive oil before serving.

Notes:

You can use canned black beans instead of dried if you don’t have time to plan ahead. Sub four 12 oz cans (drained) for the dried beans and add 4 cups of water or enough to just cover the beans. If you haven't ever cooked with dried black beans, please note that different varieties will lose a varying amount of their deep color. You haven't done anything wrong if your beans start to look reddish brown or even grey as they cook. They will darken as they sit/cool, but still may lose some of their black tone. They'll taste delicious either way. Personally, I’ve found Camellia brand's dried beans best for maintaining color. Traditionally, these beans are served over white rice with fried sweet (ripe) plantains, green salad or fresh cabbage, roasted Cuban style pork and mojo covered yuca. If you forgo the whole feast, I suggest at least serving with plantains or salad, but definitely over rice.

Calories

336.78

Fat (grams)

6.72

Sat. Fat (grams)

1.02

Carbs (grams)

54.24

Fiber (grams)

12.44

Net carbs

41.81

Sugar (grams)

5.89

Protein (grams)

16.95

Sodium (milligrams)

417.25

Cholesterol (grams)

0.00

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