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1
Preheat the oven to 425F (220C) or 400F (205C) with convection.
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2
Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil.
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3
Trim the bottom third from the rabe, then wash and dry it.
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4
Put the broccoli rabe in a large bowl and add the onion, red pepper, and 1 teaspoon (6 grams) salt.
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5
Toss the ingredients together to season evenly.
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6
Put the chicken on the cutting board with its legs in the air and the tail and back facing you.
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7
Use a serrated knife to cut to the right of the tail and straight down along the backbone to open up the chicken.
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8
Spread the chicken open flat.
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9
Use the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons (9 grams) salt to season the skin side and then the inside cavity.
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10
Mound the broccoli rabe mixture in the center of the prepared pan.
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11
Lay the chicken on top of the broccoli rabe, skin side up.
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12
It will look like the chicken is lying on a nest, with some rabe exposed at the edges.
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13
Roast for 45 minutes.
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14
With a heatproof pastry brush, baste the bird with the fat that has collected in the bottom of the pan.
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15
Rotate the pan and continue to roast for another 30 minutes.
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16
Then turn off the oven without opening it, and leave the chicken in the oven for 20 minutes.
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17
Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest in the pan for 10 more minutes.
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18
Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board.
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19
Carve the chicken and arrange the meat on a platter.
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20
Squeeze lemon juice over the vegetables in the pan and gently toss them with the pan juices, scraping up any brown bits stuck on the bottom.
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21
Put the dressed broccoli rabe and any juices in a bowl and serve with the chicken.
