Simple Weeknight Dinner: Sage, Lemon and Garlic Roasted Chicken

A recipe for a roast chicken seems kind of ridiculous, kind of like a recipe for a sandwich. I mean, you just put in whatever you like, right?  But I made a really delicious and flavorful roasted chicken this week, and was telling a friend about it, and she asked for the recipe.  A whole roasted chicken makes a weeknight feel kind of special, kind of like a mini Thanksgiving, only so much easier and less stressful. It makes your house smell wonderful.  And with a big enough chicken, and one vegetarian in the house, there is plenty leftover for some great sandwiches the next day...hmmm.  Maybe I already have my next blog entry! 

Sage, Lemon and Garlic Roasted Chicken:

1 large, whole chicken (7-8 lbs)

5 garlic cloves, peeled

I whole lemon, zested and then sliced

10 fresh sage leaves

About 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or use the sage oil for extra flavor)

salt and pepper to taste

Rinse the chicken inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels.  Place in a large roasting pan.  Place the garlic, lemon zest, 1 tbsp olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper in the bowl of a mini food processor.  Pulse until it is a chopped paste. Take 2/3 of the garlic mixture, and using your hands, place it under the skin of the chicken.  Place the remainder inside the chicken cavity.  Place the slices of lemon under the skin of the chicken as well, and then a couple on top of the chicken.  If there are any left over, you can place them inside the cavity of the chicken.  Roast at 375 degrees until an instant read thermometer reads 165 degrees (or until the juices run clear). Delicious with roasted potato wedges.

The Taste of Fall: Sage Oil

My husband is a genius!  My favorite fall flavor is sage, and although we dug the plant out of our garden, there are only so many sage leaves, and eventually, I will run out. So Michael has started making small batches of sage oil, and I have begun drizzling it on pretty much anything I eat.  I made beautiful soft scrambled eggs with the sage oil today, and I sauteed some mushrooms in the oil for an omelet for Emily this afternoon for lunch.  I roast vegetables with the sage oil drizzled over them, and put it on meats and salads.  It is utterly delicious, and truly simple, which is why I say my husband is a genius.  I mean, he married me, didn't he?

Sage Oil:

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

handful of fresh sage leaves, washed and dried

Place oil and sage leaves in a small, heavy bottomed pan.  Put the pan on a burner, and bring it to a very low simmer.  Continue to simmer for an hour or two until the oil is infused with the flavor of the sage. Let the oil cool, then strain through a fine mesh strainer, discarding the sage leaves. The FDA recommends storing homemade flavored oils in an airtight container in the refrigerator and using up in at least ten days, so only make as much as you can use in that time.