Well, this was fun! I've been wanting to make "engagement chicken" ever since I first read about it, and all of the ingredients I needed were in the Franken Pantry! If you are unmarried, you are supposed to cook this chicken for your boyfriend/girlfriend, after which he or she will (within 5 days) propose marriage! Dozens of successes have been recorded. This recipe first appeared in Glamour magazine many years ago, and it is a simple recipe.
You wash your whole chicken and dry it, then let it drain and come to room temp. Pour 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice all over it (inside, too) and then salt and pepper it. Take two more whole lemons, poke them each with a fork three times, and stuff them in the chicken. The original recipe suggested cooking fresh herbs alongside (thyme and sage!) and I didn't have fresh, so I sprinkled the chicken with dried thyme and sage. You preheat your overn to 400F. Turn the chicken breast down and put it in the oven. Turn the temp down to 350F. After 15 minutes, turn the chicken over (carefully!). Then. let it cook another 35-45 minutes, depending on the size. I actually cooked it for another hour. Hate raw chicken!
Jerry loved it, and assured me that if we were not already married, we would be, very soon. It made beautiful gravy, if somewhat lemony. I served it with rice, gravy, zucchini and carrot...nice dinner! I think some added garlic would have been nice, but I decided to follow the recipe. Very crisp and brown skin, and extremely juicy and tender.
