Dear Whole Chicken, you can make my dreams come true

I love Autumn cooking. More so than any other season, Autumn meals are so comforting. We were just discussing at dinner (pictured here), that there are few things more comforting than a whole roast chicken. Even chicken breasts or chicken wings, which obviously come from a whole chicken, just don't provide the same comfort. When you eat a whole roasted chicken, it's like you know that everything is going to work out well in the end, that true love exists, and what doesn't kill you makes you stronger - suddenly all the cliches hold true for that amazing dinner hour.

I also love one-pot meals and parchment paper. Why? Less clean up. I hate cleaning up the kitchen. Good thing I have Tim. So here is the delicious-ness we made last night - I actually baked it in the oven after this, but forgot to take a picture when it came out - so this is a picture of it before it went in.

Ingredients:

Whole chicken - 5lbs

fennel bulb

carrots - 8

2 lemons

green onions - one bunch

salt

pepper

olive oil

Instructions:

Cut up all the vegetables into about half-one inch pieces (reserve the fennel fronds). Zest the lemon into the pile of vegetables. Rinse the chicken and pat it try. Season it with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 450. Sear the chicken all over in a skillet that can then go in the oven (about 15 minutes). Remove the chicken onto a plate. Throw in chopped vegetables - season with salt, pepper, juice from lemon, and some of the fronds. Let it cook for a while (3 minutes). Put the chicken on top of the vegetables  - zest the other lemon, cut it in half and stuff half in the cavity. Put it in the oven for about an hour.