Roasted Lemon Chicken With Fennel

In a large bowl or stock pot, fill with 3 quarts cold water add salt, lemon juice and lemon pepper. Stir until dissolved. Add rinsed chicken and submerge in brine mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat oven 385 degrees.

Remove the chicken from the brine and place in v-rack over roasting pan.

Chicken can be roasted without using v-rack.

Melt butter and rub evenly over chicken, all sides.

Sprinkle lemon pepper liberally all over all sides of the whole chicken.

Chop the bulb of the fennel (and any additional vegetables) into bite-sized pieces for roasting.

Drizzle with olive oil and salt & pepper, stir to distribute oil, salt and pepper evenly and place under v-rack or around chicken if not using a v-rack.

(This is the time to add any additional vegetables for roasting to the pan).

Place the bird breast side up in a v-rack or in the pan. Roast for 50 minutes or until the thickest part of the breast registers 160 degrees.

Stir the vegetables in the pan every 20 minutes to insure even roasting.

Remove chicken from the pan and place on cutting board loosely cornered in foil for 15 minutes.

Note*when lifting v-rack or chicken with thongs allow the juices in the chicken cavities to run onto the vegetables below.

While the chicken rests raise the temp to 425 degrees and continue cooking the vegetables (if needed), when 15 minutes is up, carve chicken and serve with vegetables.

Enjoy!