

If you’re tired of buying bland roasted chicken from the grocery store or want to branch out from cooking with gas, then try out our recipe for charcoal-roasted chicken and root vegetables. It’s the ideal meal for when you’re craving something smoky and satisfying but don't want to spend hours...
Method
For the vegetables:
Cut all your vegetables into ½-inch (1 ¼-centimetre) thick slices. Place into a bowl along with the quartered lemon and a bunch of thyme.
Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and layer the bottom of your roasting pan with the vegetables.
For the chicken:
Fill the bottom of your fuel tray with an even layer of lumpwood charcoal (about 1 pound or ½ kilogram). Light the charcoal with a firestarter and preheat the oven to 500 °F (260 °C), keeping the oven door closed. This will take about 15 minutes and you can use the infrared thermometer to quickly and accurately check the temperature of the pizza stone. If cooking in your home oven, preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C).
Tip: It’s important that the temperature doesn't climb above 500 °F (260 °C), so regulate the heat by adding only small amounts of extra charcoal when needed. If the oven temperature gets too hot, close the chimney baffle to restrict the airflow.
Season your chicken with salt and pepper, then stuff the cavity with lemon, garlic and thyme.
Spread the butter over the entire chicken skin—this will help it get a nice golden brown color.
Place the chicken on top of the vegetables, cover loosely with foil and put it into the oven.
Check the chicken every 10 to 15 minutes, keeping the oven between 400 to 450 °F (200 to 232 °C). Cook until the internal temperature is 160 °F (70 °C) inside the thickest part, about 75 to 90 minutes. Use the internal thermometer to check this.
If cooking in your home oven, put the chicken in the oven—no foil necessary. Cook until the internal temperature is 160 °F (70 °C) inside the thickest part, about 75 to 90 minutes. Use the internal thermometer to check this.
When the internal temperature of the chicken is at 150 °F (65 °C), take the foil off and brown the skin for the final part of cooking.
Wearing your oven gloves, remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes—this will let the juices settle back into the meat.
Toss the vegetables in the pan juices, and serve beside the chicken. Enjoy!
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