Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

This happens to be my fav roast chicken dish. Due to the time constraint I don't cook it often enough, and I like to share it so I leave it for people coming around. Stolen from my good friend Henna's Blog, it is truely amazing.

Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

for the chicken
1 large chicken
1 large lemon
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon of rosemary, dried and ground
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of honey
1 tablespoon sea salt
some olive oil
chilli to taste

for the potaoes
1 kg of potatoes
1 large lemon
200 ml olive oil
1 heaped tablespoon thyme
1 teaspoon of rosemary, dried and ground
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon sea salt
chili to taste

Cut the zest off the lemon, chop it very finely. Quarter the remaining lemon along its length.
this is desperately irritating to do. I peel then chop the zest finely, it takes forever...

Mix the spices and the lemon zest with salt and honey; add some olive oil so the rub will be moist but not too runny.
I find this gets messy as I stir with my hands.

Rub the chicken with the spice mix, using all of it. Stuff the peeled and quartered lemon inside the chicken’s chest cavity.
use it all, it just adds flavour to the spuds if it falls off in cooking

Leave the chicken to rest.
Half an hour is fine, two hours or three is better.

Meanwhile, clean the potatoes if necessary, and cut (unpeeled) into wedges.
I peel the spuds out of habit

Mix the lemon juice, the olive oil, spices, honey and salt.
Spice with a little chilli if you like, but normally the lemon alone will have enough zing to keep things interesting.
have never added chilli, will have to try it!!

Put the potatoes in a big bowl and toss with the dressing until they are evenly coated.
messssssssy

Pour the potaoes onto a high-rimmed baking tray (or into a large oven dish), the chicken on a gridiron above them and put into the oven at about 180°C. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes (or more for bigger batches), and turn once or twice so both the chicken and the wedges have a chance to brown evenly on all sides.
now henna says all the liquid in the tatas should disappear, but I can never get it to. This means they dont crunchy up like they should, but are still so fricken yummy

Take out of the oven and leave to cool for a moment, then serve.
the most amazing chicken roast EVA!