Clay Oven Chicken - chicken

Method

• Soak your clay pot in cool water for 15 minutes.
• Soak both the base and the lid.
• While pot is soaking, rinse and dry your chicken.
• Be sure to remove the giblets and neck from the cavity.
• Dont be afraid of itits dead.
• And its probably not a zombie, so it wont bite you.
• Probably!
• Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
• Drain the inside as well as you can.
• I like to stuff a couple of paper towels in there to dry it.
• Just be sure to get them all out.
• Paper towel chicken is not good.
• Combine the lemon pepper and seasoned salt in a small bowl.
• Sprinkle the inside cavity with about 1 teaspoon of seasoning mixture.
• Add the garlic cloves, lemon halves, and fresh herbs (if using) into the cavity as well.
• Spread 1-1/2 tablespoons of oil on the back of the chicken.
• Spread it around with your fingers like youre giving Mr. Chicken a massage.
• Sprinkle with the outside of the chicken with half the remaining seasoning mixture.
• Drain the clay pot base and set the chicken inside, breast side up.
• Drizzle the remaining oil over the chicken and massage it in.
• Sprinkle the last of the seasoning mixture over the top.
• Drain the lid of the clay pot and put it on top.
• Place the whole thing in your oven.
• Be sure the rack is set to the lower third so theres plenty of room around the clay pot.
• Set your oven to 500 degrees F and WALK AWAY.
• Dont peek.
• Dont open the oven door.
• Just let it be for 90 minutes.
• After the 90 minutes is up, carefully remove the clay pot from the oven and set it on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes.
• Carefully remove the lid and use tongs to remove the chicken from the pot.
• Cut it up and serve.
• I like mine cave-man stylea leg, ripped off the bird, using no utensils.
• I do use a napkin.