Perfect Roast Chicken

I grew up eating roast chicken. My Nonna made it at least one Sunday a month, and my mom made it too. Needless to say, it was one of the dishes I mastered early on. Over the years I have made different variations, settling on this recipe or that, always looking for the flavors of my youth. Monday night I found those flavors, and decided I needed to write it down.

Perfect Roast Chicken

1 3-4lb. chicken
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 c. chicken stock
1/4 c. dry sherry
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1-1/2 lbs peeled carrots, parsnips or potatoes, or a combination.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a medium size roasting pan drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil. Rinse and pat the chicken dry. Sprinkle 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp freshly ground pepper inside the cavity of the chicken. Add the quartered lemon and the garlic cloves. Place the chicken in the roasting pan and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If roasting vegetables toss lightly with olive oil , salt and pepper and place around the chicken in a single layer. Add the 1 c. of chicken stock and place in the preheated oven. After 1 hour add the sherry and a touch of water if the liquid is getting to dry. Giving the vegetables a toss is also a good idea. Cook another half hour. Leaving all the pan juices in the roasting pan carve the chicken and serve with the roasted vegetables and pan juices. You will not be disappointed! Enjoy!