Roast Chicken with Brown Butter, Lemon and Capers

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Ingredients:

• One chicken, cut into pieces (I cut mine into halves but quarters would work as well)
• S & P
• 3 Tbls Olive Oil
• 1/2 stick of butter
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon
• 3 Tbls of Capers with 1 Tbls of their Brine

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Season the chicken pieces liberally with S & P while the olive oil is heating in a large pan on medium high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, saute the chicken, skin side down until browned. Turn the chicken when browned and continue sauteeing; 8 – 10 minutes if halved chickens pieces, or approximately 5 minutes if in quarters.
• Transfer the chicken to a baking dish and complete its cooking at 350. This will take approximately 25 minutes if halved or 15 if quartered.
• While the chicken is roasting, pour off all but 2 Tbls of the chicken fat from the saute pan. (Try to preserve the tasty bits of sauteed chicken that may be on the bottom of the pan.)  Stir in the butter and brown at medium. (Watch this carefully as brown butter can burn in the blink of an eye!)
• Add the capers, brine and lemon juice.
• Let cool on the stovetop until the chicken is done and reheat gently just before dinner is to be served. Spoon a few teaspoons on the roasted chicken and enjoy!

Notes:

I always use a meat thermometer. Chicken is done at 180 degrees, but I recommend removing it at 175 and letting it rest tented in foil for a few minutes. The chicken will continue cooking until it’s up to temp.