Cast Iron Skillet Lemon Roasted Chicken - Ina Garten Recipe

Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner!  Tender, juicy, crispy with a lemon onion garlic herb wine sauce.  This is an Ina Garten's recipe so I knew it would be good.  I just didn't know how good!  Where has this chicken been all my life!  The first thing about this recipe that you need to know is you spatchcock a whole chicken.  Spatchcock:  a culinary preparation in which the backbone of a whole chicken (or turkey) is removed so it can be cooked flat.  I've never spatchcocked a whole chicken so I had to look it up in a video ** here.   Who knew it was so easy.  I didn't, but I do now and I will be spatchcocking whole chickens for now on!  Okay, enough with the spatchcock, let's talk bout this recipe.  The chicken turns out juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside.  The fresh lemons, after they roast and get caramelized, meld with the onion, garlic and wine to make the most flavorful sauce. You can even eat the rind and all.   I'm going to make it again next week because it was that good, so easy and I have some fresh herbs to use up.  I have a feeling I'll be making this often!
Check out Ina Garten's video on this recipe here.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds

1 Tablespoon Kosher salt (I used a little less)

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/3 cup olive oil

1 lemon, halved and sliced, seeds removed (1/4 inch thick)

1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, sliced thin

1 (4 lbs) whole chicken, backbone removed and Spatchcocked *see note below or **video above)

1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc - Kim Crawford)

2 wedges of lemon, squeeze on top when done (I didn't squeeze on top, it was lemony enough for me)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Place the thyme, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper in a mini food processor and process until ground.  Mix with olive oil and set aside.

Layer the lemon slices in a 12 inch cast iron skillet, then onions and garlic.  Place the chicken, skin side down, on top of the onion and brush with about half the oil herb mixture.  Turn the chicken skin side up, pat it dry with paper towels (this helps it get crisp), and brush it all over with the rest of the oil and herb mixture.

Roast the chicken for 30 minutes.  Pour the wine into the pan (around the chicken, not on top) and roast for another 15 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 160 degrees.

Remove the chicken from the oven, sprinkle it with the lemon juice, cover the skillet tightly with foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.  Cut the chicken into quarters and serve hot with the pan juices, cooked lemon and onions.

*note - Using kitchen scissors, cut down either side of chicken’s backbone. Turn over and place chicken breast side up, then press down on breastbone to flatten.