Not of lemon, but of technique. Recently, I watched our chef friend cook a chicken, and I thought that I could steal and then modify his method. Not really, because he roasted it whole, then carved it into pieces and continued roasting, and he knew when each piece was done without the benefit of a thermometer. I have fewer skills, and even less talent, so I will be less confident of the process and the end result.
I want to try browning a whole chicken in my large, cast iron skillet then roast it at some outrageous temperature until it is crispy. I’ll manage the risk of a fat fire by layering the pan with potatoes, which should soak up the fat and taste pretty good by the end. Of course, I will need to truss the chicken, which means that my wife will get at least one mouthful of string (bondage is not one of my skills), but that is a price I am willing to pay, if the end result is crispy and juicy. Actually, I have no idea whether this is a standard technique that I just never saw or read about. But that is half the fun of cooking — trying new stuff and being, hopefully, pleasantly surprised at the outcome. I can’t imagine that it will be awful; it just might not be worth the trouble. But if I am wrong, and it is awful, I still have some of that great ragu I made the other day.
See the results here.