Bake & Roast

1. Prepare the chicken. In a small bowl, mix together thyme, rosemary, pepper, and garlic. Slide fingers carefully under the skin to separate chicken from skin. Rub chopped herb mixture into chicken, from breast to thighs, anywhere you can slide your fingers.

2. Rub chicken skin with salt. Squeeze lemon quarters into the cavity, then insert them into the cavity. Refrigerate chicken, uncovered, for 2 to 24 hours.

3. When ready to cook the chicken, remove from fridge and let chicken come to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the cornbread nuggets. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup mini-muffin pan with vegetable cooking spray.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pepper.

6. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, milk, and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Stir in the wet ingredients and blend gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in cranberries. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake until slightly browned, about 12 to 14 minutes. Let pan cool on a wire rack.

7. Raise oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Roast chicken until juices run clear when pierced with the tip of a knife and temperature reads 165 degrees F on an instant read thermometer, about 80 to 90 minutes. Baste three times during cooking, the third time just before removing chicken from oven. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes, then carve. Serve with cranberry cornbread nuggets on the side.

Source: Hannaford fresh Magazine, September - October 2015