Maya's Roasted Chicken
- Juice of 1 lemon, plus one lemon for slicing, if desired
- One 8-pound roasting chicken
- 2 tablespoons (¼ stick) butter
- ½ teaspoon salt, or more if desired
- ½ teaspoon pepper, or more if desired
- 1 unpeeled Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into pieces
- 1 celery stalk, cut into medium-size pieces
- ½ cup chopped green lettuce
Instructions:
A chicken breast is less caloric than chicken thighs, but one chicken thigh, skinned, can be considered a serving.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
-  In a small cup, mix together the lemon juice and 1 cup water. Set the lemon aside.
- Wash the chicken in the lemon juice mixture. Pat dry.
- Â Rub the butter over the chicken.
- Liberally salt and pepper the chicken outside and inside.
-  Place the apple and celery in the chicken cavity. Place the chicken in a roasting pan.
- Place an extra-large piece of aluminum foil over the chicken, leaving a generous air pocket over the chicken, leaving a generous air pocket over the top of the chicken so the foil does not touch it. Crimp the ends of the foil to the sides of the pan, creating a tent.
-  Bake the chicken in the tent for 1½ hours, partially removing the tent periodically to baste with pan juices.
-  Remove the foil and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Bake the chicken, uncovered, for 30 additional minutes.
-  Once the chicken is done (when the internal temperture reaches 160°F), remove the skin and slice for serving.
-  Serve with simple lettuce and garnish with a very thin slice of lemon, if desired.