Roasty Toasty Lemon Chicken

I used a small whole chicken for this recipe. I use a brine when I do my chicken because I find that the final product is more juicy! It does not take long to do and it's well worth it. I even do it for any kind of chicken (breast, thighs, drumsticks) for the oven and before BBQing too!

Chicken prep:

- The brine I used: Water (until the chicken is covered), 1 tbsp of kosher salt, 1 tbsp of peppercorns, 1 whole lemon (cut in half), 1 whole lime (halved), quarter an onion (with skin and all), 3 cloves of crushed garlic, 2 bay leaves.
- So, put your chicken (fred, harold, tom...) in this for at least 5-6 hours and then forget about him.

When he's ready to go in:

- Place the chicken in your roasting pan.
- Slice up a lemon and slip the pieces right under the skin.
- Stuff the chicken-pit with the brine's lemon/lime and onion
- Add the following rub-mix on the skin:
* 1 tsp cayenne pepper
* 1 tsp red pepper flakes
* 1 tbsp dried basil
* 1 tsp garlic powder
* 1 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
- Drizzle with oil and roast for 1.5- 2 hours at 350 (depending on the size of the bird and your oven!)

A side dish idea?
Parmesan cauliflower & carrots

- Cut up half a head of cauliflower and 3 large carrots into roughly the same size.
- Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and mix well.
- Cover veggies with panko breadcrumbs, spice of your choice (I used cayenne and red pepper flakes) and a niiiice handful of Parmesan cheese.
- Bake on a baking sheet while your chicken has 40 mins. left
- The crusty coating will get golden brown...

Moolicious!