Oven-baked chicken will never beat the road-side rotisserie stands that you find throughout souhtern Italy with their wood fires and smoke flavoring of the bird, but this recipe will definitely remind you of those good times you remember while you were living there.

Ingredients for preparation of 1 chicken:

Chicken                                        1(pick a good sized one)

Olive oil                                       as needed

Rosemary                                      as needed

Lemon juice or white wine              as needed

Salt and pepper                             to taste

How to do it:

Preheat your oven to 375F. (If you have a rotisserie oven you're just that much farther ahead of the game)

Wash the bird thoroughly and dry it with paper toweling.

Take a half cup of olive oil and squeeze the juice of a whole lemon into it.

Pour most of the oil and lemon over the bird and rub it around with your hand so that the chicken is completely covered.

shake some salt, pepper, and rosemary into the body cavity of the bird.

Shake some rosemary, pepper, and a generous amount of salt on the outside of the chicken. (Don't go nuts with salt)

Put the bird in a shallow baking dish or on the rotisserie and bake uncovered for 2 hours (That's right two hours) (If you're using the rotisserie the chicken may start to fall apart before the two hours are up. Just use some common sense) Baste frequently (at first with the remaining oil and lemon, then with the juice that comes from the bird).

Tastes great with tossed salad or potatoes or whatever. If you're doing 100% Italian check some of my other recipes for other course suggestions.