Chicken Tahini with Lemon and Potatoes

Serve this chicken tahini with lemon and potatoes seasoned with parsley, basil, scallions, and lemon zest. Also, use any extra meat as the foundation for everything from chicken noodle soup to chicken mac and cheese.

Have This!

• One whole chicken
• A bunch fresh basil leaves
• Five tbsp. unsalted butter
• Two lemons
• Two tsp tahini
• Five clove garlic
• Two scallions
• Coarse sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Two lb. small to medium potatoes
• Two tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• Half bunch fresh parsley leaves

Do This!

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F with rack set in the middle. Remove any excess fat around chicken cavities and discard; rinse chicken and pat dry, inside and out.
• In a small bowl, combine basil, butter, tahini, lemon zest, garlic, and scallions.
• Starting at chicken’s neck, slide hands under the skin, carefully loosening skin on breasts and thighs. Spread butter mixture, about one tablespoon at a time, between loosened skin and meat, taking care not to tear the skin. Rub hands over skin to spread mixture into crevices.
• Season chicken with salt and pepper, then tie legs together with kitchen string. In a large bowl, toss potatoes with oil, half teaspoon salt, and enough pepper to coat well. Cut reserved lemon into quarters and set three aside.
• Heat roasting pan in oven for ten minutes. Remove; then put potatoes and any oil left in a bowl into pan, keeping potatoes in a single layer and pushed to edges to make room for chicken. Place chicken in pan, breast-side up.
• Roast chicken for 20 minutes, then remove the pan from oven and turn bird breast-side down. Continue to roast for 20 more minutes, then remove the pan from oven and turn bird breast-side up again.
• Sprinkle parsley over potatoes, then stir to coat with pan drippings. Squeeze reserved lemon over chicken and put rinds into the pan. Continue to roast until juices of chicken run clear when thigh is pierced with a fork, or an instant-read thermometer inserted in breast reaches 160°F, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Remove pan from oven; let chicken rest for 15 minutes before transferring to a cutting board. Let rest for five more minutes, and then carve.
• Spoon pan juices over chicken; serve with potatoes and roasted lemon.