This roast chicken recipe is apparently so good it will make any man propose

Valentine's Day came and went without your man putting a ring on it? Well, ladies, there is a secret (yet well-documented) little trick that might sort this right out. Ever heard of "engagement chicken?" No? Well, listen to this: Remember a few months back, when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle giddily and adorably gushed over one anohter as they announced their engagement? During their interview with the BBC, they were asked how the proposal happened, where upon the happy couple explained how they were simpy enjoying "a “cosy night… cooking roast chicken” when Harry got down on one knee. Meghan said yes, of course (I mean; wouldn't you?!), and this, it seems, could have as much to do with their dinner of choice as it did with Harry himself. Look, we don't know what kind of a chicken recipe the young lovers were preparing on that love-filled night, but as it turns out, "engagement chicken" is an actual thing – with a long and rather convincing history. Back in 2004, US Glamour magazine published a recipe for a butter-and-lemon basted roast chicken that, supposedly, had led to the engagements of multiple staff members. For real. The story goes that, way back in 1982, a fashion editor at the magazine gave her roast chicken recipe to a staffer, who made it for her then-boyfriend. Within a month, they were engaged. That assistant passed the recipe onto three more staff members… who all got engaged in quick succession. And now? The recipe has gone on to become rather famous, and part of Glamour’s folklore forever. A few years ago, the magazine even published a book of recipes featuring the famous chicken dish (and a bunch of other ones too). Engagement Chicken (serves 2-4)

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (approximately 4 pounds)

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, plus 3 whole lemons—including 1 sliced for garnish1 tablespoon

kosher or coarse sea salt1

2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Fresh herbs for garnish (4 rosemary sprigs, 4 sage sprigs, 8 thyme sprigs, and 1 bunch fl at-leaf parsley)

Instructions

1. Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the giblets from the chicken, wash the chicken inside and out with cold water, then let the chicken drain, cavity down, in a colander for 2 minutes.

2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place the chicken breast-side down in a medium roasting pan fi tted with a rack and pour the lemon juice all over the chicken, both inside and out. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper inside and out.

3. Prick 2 whole lemons three times each in three different places with a fork and place them deep inside the cavity. Chicken cavity size may vary, so if one lemon is partly sticking out, that's fine. (Tip: If the lemons are stiff, roll them on the countertop with your palm before pricking to get the juices flowing.)

4. Put the chicken in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 180°C, and roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

5. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Using tongs or two wooden spoons, turn the chicken breast- side up. Insert a meat thermometer in the thigh, and return the chicken to the oven and roast for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the meat thermometer reads 180°F and the juices run clear when the thigh is pricked with a fork. Continue roasting if necessary. Keep in mind that cooking times in different ovens vary; roasting a chicken at 350°F takes approximately 18-20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes.

6. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. And here's the secret: Pour the juices from the roasting pan on top of the sliced chicken. Garnish with fresh herbs and lemon slices.

Have cooked the engagement chicken, I will argue it is so good you will want to make this right away – whether you are looking for a proposal or not. And if you are – please keep us posted on what happened next!