Roasted chicken with pepper, lemon, thyme and honey — juicy and fragrant

Ingredients (for 4 to 6 people) :

• 2 lemons (zest + segments)

• 3 liters of water

• 250 g of salt or coarse salt

• 65 ml (3 tbsp) honey

• 3 tbsp black peppercorns

• 2 tbsp dried thyme or 5 sprigs fresh thyme

• 1 whole chicken of about 2 kg

• 1 onion, quartered

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled

• 20 cl of olive oil

• Ground black pepper

Preparation :

1. Prepare the flavored brine

1. Finely grate the lemons to obtain the zest. Then cut the lemons into quarters.

2. In a large saucepan, heat 500 ml of water with the salt , honey , peppercorns , half of the thyme and the lemon zest , until the salt has completely dissolved.

3. Remove from heat, add 2.5 liters of cold water to cool the brine.

2. Marinate the chicken

4. Place the chicken in the brine. It should be completely submerged (use a plate to hold it underwater if necessary).

5. Refrigerate for a maximum of 2 hours (beyond this time, the chicken will be too salty).

6. Take out the chicken and dry it thoroughly inside and out with paper towels.

7. Optional: Let it sit in the open air to cool to dry the skin (this will make it crispier when cooked).

3. Cooking the chicken

8. Preheat oven to 230°C (450°F) .

9. Season the inside of the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the lemon wedges , onion , garlic , and the remaining thyme to the cavity. Tie the legs together.

10. Pepper the outside of the chicken. Place it in a glass baking dish , drizzled generously with olive oil .

11. Bake for 20 minutes at 230°C, then reduce the temperature to 180°C (350°F) and continue cooking for 30 to 40 minutes , depending on the size of the chicken.

12. The chicken is ready when a meat thermometer reads 82°C in the thigh , without touching the bone.

4. Rest & Service

13. Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.

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