Ludi's Chicken (Lemon Mustard Roasted Chicken)

Now that the weather has turned, I'm cooking meals in the oven more often. Makes the house feel warm and cozy : ) This roasted chicken recipe is one of my favorites.  Guess why?  It's easy, homey and uses ingredients you'd readily have on hand. And of course, it's delicious.  It does, however, take 2 hours to bake in the oven, so a little bit of preplanning helps (trust me, it's worth it). But once the chicken is in the oven, you can go off and settle into your divan, kick up your feet and enjoy a box of bonbons.  Well, one can always dream and pretend......


Ludi's Chicken
adapted from Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes by Tessa Kiros

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Make marinade by combining and shaking ingredients in a small glass jar with lid:
juice from 2 lemons (keep the juiced lemon halves to stuff into chicken cavity)
2 heaping tablespoons grainy mustard
1 tablespoon dried oregano or thyme or combination of the two, crumbled
2 tablespoons olive oil

Remove any excess fat, rinse cavity and pat dry:
1 whole chicken, 3-5lb

Season both inside and outside of chicken with salt and pepper.  Stuff the chicken cavity with:
2 juiced lemon halves
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
Place in large roasting pan.

Scatter inside the roasting pan, around the chicken:
4-5 large potatoes, peeled, sliced lengthwise and cut into thick wedges
2 red onions, peeled, sliced lengthwise and cut into wedges
2 bay leaves
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
Additionally, you could add other vegetables such as carrots, bell peppers, etc.

Pour marinade over the chicken and vegetables, tossing or stirring to ensure everything is well coated with the marinade. Gently pour one cup of water into roasting pan without washing marinade off chicken and vegetables. Roast for one hour.

After an hour, the top of the chicken should be getting brown.  Pour over the top:
1/2 cup white wine
Roast for another 45 minutes to an hour or until chicken is golden brown, juicy and cooked through. Check the potatoes as well, to make sure they are not dry.  They should be submerged in a little bit of liquid.  If the pan bottom is dry, add a little bit more hot water.  The potatoes when done should be golden and juicy, not crispy.  And there should be some liquid remaining in the pan to serve as a sauce.