1 lemonfreshly ground pepper
dried or fresh chopped rosemary
1 head garlic
1 small onion
vegetables, chopped in 1-in. pieces
(your choice of potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions etc.)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove any giblets from inside of chicken. Rinse and pat dry. Roll lemon on counter with palm of hand to release juices. Pierce lemon all over with point of sharp knife and cut in half. Squeeze 1/2 of lemon over the outside of the chicken. Rub entire chicken with olive oil, inside and outside. Sprinkle inside and outside generously with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and dried chopped rosemary. Cut whole head of garlic in half crosswise. Peel onion and cut in half. Place lemon, garlic and onion inside chicken until cavity is filled. Any pieces that won't fit inside may be placed in the roasting pan with chicken. Place chicken in oven and roast for 30 minutes. Remove roasting pan and add chopped vegetables, turning them in juices to coat. Return chicken to oven and continue to cook. As soon as internal temperature of chicken reaches 180 degrees, remove immediately and allow chicken to rest about 10 minutes before slicing. If vegetables are not cooked completely, return roasting pan with vegetables to oven and continue cooking while chicken cools. Vegetables should be slightly brown and crispy on the outside, but not mushy! Chicken may be served whole and sliced at the table or cut and sliced before serving on a platter with vegetables. Leftover chicken may be used for chicken salad or a potpie with vegetables.
