By Ann Heller
Dayton Daily News
I have fixed this recipe from Italian cooking teacher Marcella Hazan ever since her second cookbook was published. Its luscious, lemony pan drippings transform the bird.
1 chicken, about 3 pounds
Salt and pepper
2 whole lemons
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Wash the chicken and dry it with paper towels. Remove any loose fat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, inside and out, rubbing it in.
Wash and dry the lemons and soften by rolling them on the counter. Poke each lemon at least 20 times with a skewer or toothpick. Put the lemons inside the chicken, and use a skewer to close the opening.
Put in a shallow roasting pan, breast down, and place in the upper third of the oven. Do not add any fat. Roast for 15 minutes.
Turn the chicken breast side up and roast for 20 to 25 minutes.
Turn the heat to 400 degrees and cook an additional 20 minutes. (If using a larger bird you may want to roast the bird an additional 5 minutes or so.) Cut into the thigh at the joint and make sure the juices run clear yellow.
Serve the chicken with the lemony juices from the pan spooned over.