Convection Oven Roast Chicken

Convection Oven Roast Chicken (from here)

Notes: This was awesome and easy! And my first attempt at doing a whole chicken in the oven since our grill is on the fritz...I set it on Convection Roast at 400 for 20 mins and then 60 mins at 375. I think my chicken was 5 lbs. I checked the temp of the meat at 60 mins and that seemed to work perfectly. I modified the herbs since I didn't have any fresh on hand. I used what I had of dried herbs. Instead of putting the lemon zest, I just quartered a whole lemon and put 3/4 of it in the cavity and used the remaining 1/4 for the outside. I know the skin is fatty, but it was DELICIOUS! I picked off the rest of the meat that we didn't eat for dinner to use in other recipes for the rest of the week. I was impressed with how much you could taste the flavors of the herbs and lemon on the meat. It was actually better than when I had done it on the grill over the summer.

# 1 (5 lb) roasting chickens
# 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
# 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
# fresh herb (rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, etc.,1/4-inch sprig)
# 1 garlic clove, peeled and cut in half
# 1 small onion, peeled and quartered (about 2 ounces)
# 4 slices lemon zest (1/2-x-3-inches each)
# 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
# 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. 1 Place the toaster oven rack to the lowest position in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F on the convection setting.
2. 2 Remove giblets and neck from cavity of chicken, reserve for another use or discard. Rinse chicken with cold water and pat dry.
3. 3 Place a baking rack into the broiling pan (that is lined with foil) add 1/4 cup water to the pan and lightly spray the baking rack with cooking spray.
4. 4 Tuck the wings under and place the chicken on the baking rack pan. Clean work surface and hands with soap and hot water before continuing.
5. 5 Combine the salt and pepper. Rub half the mixture in the cavity of the chicken; then place the herb sprig(s), garlic halves, onion quarters and lemon zest in the cavity of the chicken.
6. 6 Loosely tie the legs together. Rub the chicken with the olive oil and remaining salt and pepper. Drizzle with the lemon juice.
7. 7 Place the chicken in the oven and roast at 400°F for 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 375°F and continue to roast for an additional 12 minutes per pound longer.
8. 8 Considering my chicken was 5 lbs. I will roast it for 60 minutes. You will have to calculate the time according to your chicken's weight by multiplying 12 minutes times the size per pound of your chicken.
9. 9 The Internal temperature of the chicken should be 170°F when tested in the breast, and 180°F when tested in the dark meat.
10. 10 Juices should run clear.
11. 11 Turn off oven and remove the chicken to a platter. Let stand 10 - 15 minutes before carving (may cover loosely with foil if desired, but skin will lose its crispness).
12. 12 Bon Appetit!