Tuscan Lemon Chicken ♥ Barefoot Contessa

I have enjoyed recipes created by Ina Garten for years. I have learned so much from her shows. Every recipe I have tried has been fabulous. Very delicious, simple to make,  and so gourmet! Today I wanted to share one of the many recipes that I love and have tried from viewing her show on the food network. Later I will share with you all of the different dishes I make using the chicken that I have leftover from the recipe. This is a good recipe to make on Sunday. The leftover chicken comes in handy for quick dishes you can easily make up later in the week.

About five years ago I watched a show where Ina shared her story. She said that that her husband was stationed at Cherry Point in North Carolina when they were very young and newly weds. She had a passion for entertaining and cooking and starting entertaining friends they had met while he was in the service. She shared some of her mistakes and funny stories. Later in life they moved and she actually worked at the White House. She longed for a change and saw an ad in the New York Times about a business for sale. She and her husband decided to take a trip to Long Island to check it out.  They purchased the store in 1978, it was called Barefoot Contessa. The former owner was Italian and her family called her the Barefoot Contessa when she was young. She loved the fact that the business was all about being elegant and earthy. She had a huge catering business from this and later sold the store in 1996 to a couple of her employees. She starting writing cookbooks and in 2002 her show premiered on the Food Network.. She is an inspiration and I love every recipe I have tried that she creates. I will share more of the ones that I have tried soon. You will be surprised at how simple they are!

Tuscan Lemon Chicken
1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken
Kosher Salt
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (please don't use the bottled stuff)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)  (please don't use the stuff in the jar. There is a huge difference in flavor)
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves ( I have this as a potted plant)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, halved

I have found that it is always best to try the recipe using the ingredients exactly as written without substitutes first, then tweek and make changes at a later time. Fresh ingredients are always best!
Sprinkle the chicken with 1 teaspoon  of Kosher salt on each side. Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and 2 teaspoons pepper in a small measuring cup. Place the chicken in a ceramic or glass dish just large enough to hold it flat. Pour the lemon marinade over the chicken, turning it in the dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Turn the chicken 2 or 3 times while marinating. I used the garlic from the marinade later when I roasted the chicken. I love the flavor of roasted garlic.
She grilled the chicken with her recipe but I decided to bake the chicken in my oven. She had mentioned how awesome Lemon was roasted in the oven. I have to agree. It carmalizes and has a unique flavor. I prefer large slices of garlic but small thin wedges of the lemon.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet or pan by greasing with a couple dashes of olive oil. Add sliced lemon wedges and the sliced garlic that was used in the marinade over chicken, Cover, and bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the cover, and continue baking for 10 minutes or so, or until chicken is no longer pink inside and the chicken is brown and the Lemon and garlic is carmelized. Remove the chicken and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving to keep the chicken from drying out. I plan to add sliced onion next time also before I roast the chicken. I love onion!
Enjoy!

Tuscan Lemon Chicken ♥ Barefoot Contessa