# Hammersley's Roasted Lemon Chicken



## QSis (Apr 14, 2008)

After hearing and reading raves for years about this chicken in a Boston restaurant (Hamersley's Bistro), I found a recipe for it and made it. I couldn't believe a whole roasted chicken could be so great that people ordered IT over most everything else!

Anyway, I made it tonight and it's fabulous! The lemon flavor is throughout, and the simple lemony sauce is spectacular (I added a teaspoon of Wondra to thicken it).

If you like a lot of potatoes, add more. I just had half of one and some steamed asparagus, with that great lemony gravy over all.

I used an oven-stuffer roaster, a 6 pounder, so it took almost double the time. 

I'm debating tossing a few cloves of garlic into the cavity next time. I dunno, this was really perfect!

Scott's Kitchen: Hamersley's Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Onions

Lee


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## kitchenelf (Apr 14, 2008)

Sounds great!  I've made lemon chicken before but I really like the Dijon in this recipe.  I am really looking forward to trying it.  Thanks for posting the link.


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## karenlyn (Apr 15, 2008)

This sounds great!  I have a recipe for greek lemon chicken I make occasionally, but it's so work intensive that I don't make it nearly as often as DH (who loves it) would like.  This sounds equally delicious, but a heck of a lot easier.  Thanks for the recipe!


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## suziquzie (Apr 15, 2008)

I am on a chicken-roasting kick lately.... about 1 a week, sometimes 2. 
This is next up! Thanks!!!


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## jennyema (Apr 15, 2008)

I've had it at Hamersley's and it's indeed very good, but could not recreate it closely at all at home.  I'm not sure Gordon is giving away all his secrets.


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## ChefJune (Apr 15, 2008)

You have probably read me saying somewhere before that I have never eaten anything else at Hamersley's.  Every time I've ever been there, I succumb to the Roast Chicken.

I will be making it Sunday as part of my Roast Chicken Thesis Tasting dinner. (there will be two other preps of Roast Chicken.

I LOVE Roast Chicken. really looking forward to Sunday!


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## Andy M. (Apr 15, 2008)

ChefJune said:


> You have probably read me saying somewhere before that I have never eaten anything else at Hamersley's. Every time I've ever been there, I succumb to the Roast Chicken.
> 
> I will be making it Sunday as part of my Roast Chicken Thesis Tasting dinner. (there will be two other preps of Roast Chicken.
> 
> I LOVE Roast Chicken. really looking forward to Sunday!


 

I haven't had this recipe but have made a Hammersley roast chicken dish he made on Julia Child's Cooking With Master Chefs TV show.  That's a very tasty dish.


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## QSis (Apr 15, 2008)

Hey, jenny, June, Andy, and anyone else who is familiar with this dish, please feel free to chime in and suggest changes that will approximate the restaurant dish.  

I've never had it, so had nothing to compare this recipe to. But I loved it!

Lee


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## jennyema (Apr 16, 2008)

After having it a few times, I usually order something else when I go there these days but the chicken is outstanding and the most popular thing on the menu.

But IMO I doubt that recipe as written could generate such a superb result. It seems pretty ordinary -- one that any of us here could have written and probably make just out of their heads all the time.  

So ... I suspect there's more to it. There are a few different recipes for this dish out there and I suspect that this one may be closer to what he actually does.  It's the one I tried.

Also:

I bet he buys very good chicken for one -- that usually makes a world of difference in any chicken dish. So I'd recommend not using Perdue or anything like that.

I bet he brines his chicken, too, but am not sure.

He almost certainly marinates it in the mustard mixture and doesn't just coat it and roast.

There are other things, technique-wise that a chef in a professional kitchen would do (more like the other recipe I posted) that contribute to making his chicken such a hit.

He's almost always there cooking himself and the kitchen is open, somaybe I'll saunter over there some time and ask him!

*GOOD LUCK!!*

You can never go wrong with roast chicken any way you make it, in my book at least.


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## ChefJune (Apr 16, 2008)

QSis said:


> Hey, jenny, June, Andy, and anyone else who is familiar with this dish, please feel free to chime in and suggest changes that will approximate the restaurant dish.
> 
> I've never had it, so had nothing to compare this recipe to. But I loved it!
> 
> Lee


 

Lee, the recipe that is in Julia's Cooking with Master Chefs is Gordon's exact recipe, translated for the home kitchen. SOOOO good!


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## AllenOK (Apr 16, 2008)

ChefJune said:


> I will be making it Sunday as part of my Roast Chicken Thesis Tasting dinner. (there will be two other preps of Roast Chicken.
> 
> I LOVE Roast Chicken. really looking forward to Sunday!



What I would give to sit in on this presentation.  I love to see how other professionals prep and roast chicken.

I love Roast Chicken (might have to make the subject of this thread soon).  The only thing that prohibits me from making Roast Chicken very often is the fact that with all the kids, one chicken, even a 7-pounder, just doesn't cut it.  TWO 7 lb birds will cut it, but don't expect any leftovers.



jennyema said:


> I bet he buys very good chicken for one -- that usually makes a world of difference in any chicken dish. So I'd recommend not using Perdue or anything like that.
> 
> I bet he brines his chicken, too, but am not sure.
> 
> ...



One major difference is in prepping food for restaurant service and most importantly, prompt service.  I severely doubt the chef is cooking the chicken from cold raw.  That would be about a 1 1/2 - 2 hour ticket time, which is completely unacceptable.  Odds are, the chef is par-cooking the chicken, then finishing it in a really hot oven to reheat the birds and to brown them.  When I've done roast chicken halves, we always par-cooked the birds, then placed them on a "sizzle platter", popped them into a 500 degree F oven, and baked for about 15 - 20 minutes, or until the bird is hot.  If the skin isn't browned, into the salamander to brown and crisp the skin.

Editted to add:  I just hit the link for the second recipe.  I noticed there is an option for prepping ahead and reheating.  Odds are, this is what Chef Hamersley is doing for service, or something really close to it.


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## LEFSElover (Jun 24, 2008)

*gonna post here, no need to start a new post*

a friend asked me for recipes. she is very young and wants to know how to cook which is why this may seem juvenile. 
I made up this and sent it to her.
thought I'd post it here, on a thread about roasting chickens. hope it's okay to add to this post [with this].
if not, MODS delete please.
thanks.

Baked chicken
1 good sized chicken [whole] rinsed in water [*innerds taken out] patted dry with paper toweling , chicken, not talking about the innerds right now.
2 lemons cut in half
2 stems of rosemary
salt and pepper
butter
olive oil
poultry seasoning
white wine
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After you dry chicken off, salt and pepper the inside of the chicken and the outside. Rub down the chicken with a mixture of half melted butter and half olive oil, say 1 tablespoon of each one. Massage the bird on the outside real well with the fat mixture over the salt and pepper, then dust the bird with poultry seasoning. Put the halves of lemons in the bird cavity and the sprigs of rosemary too.
Now, preheat the oven to 350. Put the bird in a baking dish breast side up, on a trivet if you have one, cause it keeps it up off the bottom of the hot baking dish. If not, no biggie. Place a cup or 2 of white wine in the bottom of the dish, so as to let it soak in the moisture of the wine and flavor it only a tiny bit, bake uncovered 1 hour or until thermometer reads *160, take it out, cover it with foil, to let rest and let the juices distribute in the bird. Let sit for 1/2 hour so it reaches the temp of 180 on the thermometer, making it safe. then slice and enjoy with your gravy.
*For gravy:
[saved innerds, put in saucepan with salt and pepper, cover completely with water, lid on, cook low about an hour until well reduced.]
In new saucepan, place 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons flour and let melt and blend.
Add salt and pepper and stir, then slowly add in the liquid from the neck/heart/gizzard/liver etc of the innerds.
Just the juice, a cup only at most, and stir until it's thick. it won't thicken completely until it reaches a boil.
Roasted garlic mashed Potatoes:
Take a head of garlic, a big piece of foil, put a teaspoon of olive oil over it and salt and pepper, and bake in toaster oven or regular oven, completely wrapped up tight in the foil, @ 350 for 30 minutes. Let cool. *When recipe says add the roasted garlic, simply squeeze out the 3 largest cloves that roasted, into the potato mixture. They are so soft they'll fall into the potatoes with ease. Garlic skins won't go in, the garlic falls out of the skins when squeezed.*
Scrub 6 medium sized potatoes [5 inchers] red, white, yukon gold, whatever kind you have
leave skins on
cut into chunks
in saucepan... put potatoes, cover with cold water, add 2 Tablespoons salt, boil them until fork tender.
Drain water, place hot potatoes back into saucepan, add 3 tablespoons butter, 4 tablespoons sour cream, 4 tablespoons milk, generous salt and generous pepper, 3 cloves of the roasted garlic head, 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, chopped up chives. Use an old fashioned potato masher, mash away and when all are incorporated together.
They're now ready for your gravy.


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