Mediterranean Slow-Roasted Chicken

I decided to slow-roast a chicken for dinner tonight. We had flounder this past weekend and there was still a small trace of fish smell in my house this morning, so roasting a chicken was definitely a welcomed scent. You should seriously smell my house right now - amazing! I served this with cinnamon and brown sugar carrots and noodles.

Ingredients:

• 4.5 to 5 lb whole chicken
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lemon, cut in half
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/8 tsp dried oregano
  
• 1/8 tsp dried thyme
  
• 1/8 tsp dried marjoram
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder, to taste
  
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
  
• 1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Rinse the chicken thoroughly with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.  Rub olive oil all over chicken.  Squeeze the lemon juice on the outside of the chicken.  In a small bowl, combine the basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme, marjoram, garlic powder, sea salt and pepper.  Season the chicken evenly with the dried spice mixture on both the outside and inside of cavity.

Place the squeezed lemon halves, onion and garlic inside the cavity of the chicken.

Roast chicken for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, or until the thigh temperature reads 180 degrees.  Baste after the first hour and repeat every 30 minutes. For crispier skin, do not baste for the last hour of roasting and turn oven up to 350 degrees during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Remove chicken from oven and allow to rest for 10 to 20 minutes before carving.

Enjoy!