Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

free range roasted chicken with juniper and herb

Recipe by
Garrison Wayne
La Quinta, CA

I offer this recipe as a fantastic way to roast a chicken. I highly recommend that you purchase a free range chicken. I adapted this recipe from a wonderful Italian Cookbook titled "The Villa Table", by Lorenza De' Medici. If it is still in print, I definitely recommend it for a very comprehensive and refined collection of great Italian recipes. The combination of herbs and flavors in this dish are surprisingly mellow. Your kitchen will have the most glorious aroma while the chicken slowly roasts to perfection. This is no "Slouch" of a chicken,.....I assure you!

yield 4 serving(s)
prep time 20 Min
cook time 1 Hr 45 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For free range roasted chicken with juniper and herb

  • 4-5 lb
    free range chicken
  • 1 Tbsp
    rosemary, fresh, chopped fine
  • 5-6 lg
    fresh sage leaves, chopped fine
  • 2 Tbsp
    dried juniper berries, crushed with mortar and pestle
  • 2 lg
    garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 1/4 tsp
    kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp
    coarse ground pepper
  • 6 Tbsp
    olive oil
  • 1 lg
    lemon, halved or quartered
  • 1/2 c
    dry white wine

How To Make free range roasted chicken with juniper and herb

  • 1
    Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
  • 2
    Mix rosemary, sage, juniper berries, salt, pepper, and garlic in a small bowl.
  • 3
    Use 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil to coat both the inside and the outside of the chicken. Use 1/2 of the herb mix to season the inside of the chicken and the remaining half to season the outside of chicken.
  • 4
    Place the lemon pieces inside the chicken cavity. Use kitchen twine to tie the chicken legs and the wings in place.
  • 5
    Pour the remaining olive oil in a roasting pan or iron skillet and place the chicken on top breast up.
  • 6
    Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours. Turn and baste every 10 minutes or so after the first half hour.
  • 7
    When done, remove from oven and keep warm until you serve sliced or quartered.
  • 8
    Separate the fat from the drippings. reduce the drippings and deglaze pan with 1/2 cup dry white wine. Spoon over chicken pieces to serve.
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