It’s easy to roast a chicken. If all you have time to do is season it with oil, salt and pepper and throw it in an oven, you can do that! One hour later, dinner is ready. This particular recipe, however, steps it up a notch. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1- 4 lb whole chicken
1 lemon, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
Salt and pepper for seasoning
For herb butter:
1/2 cup of butter, room temperature
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 tsp of minced garlic
2 tsp of coarse ground pepper
1 Tbsp of salt
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Place the chicken, backside up, on a cutting board and cut out the backbone with kitchen shears. (See video for demonstration.) Turn the chicken over and press flat.
Meanwhile, prepare herb butter by mixing softened butter with rosemary, garlic and pepper. Set aside.
Separate the skin from the flesh with your fingers, creating a pocket for placing herb butter under the skin. (This step gives the chicken that extra juice and flavor while roasting.) Baste the entire surface of the chicken with remaining butter. Season with salt and pepper.
Prepare the roasting pan for the chicken by lining it with sliced a lemon and onion. Place the chicken on top of the lemon and onion and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 40 more minutes. Be sure to check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. Chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees. Let it rest 15 minutes before carving.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Place the chicken, backside up, on a cutting board and cut out the backbone with kitchen shears. (See video for demonstration.) Turn the chicken over and press flat.
Meanwhile, prepare herb butter by mixing softened butter with rosemary, garlic and pepper. Set aside.
Separate the skin from the flesh with your fingers, creating a pocket for placing herb butter under the skin. (This step gives the chicken that extra juice and flavor while roasting.) Baste the entire surface of the chicken with remaining butter. Season with salt and pepper.
Prepare the roasting pan for the chicken by lining it with sliced a lemon and onion. Place the chicken on top of the lemon and onion and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 40 more minutes. Be sure to check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. Chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees. Let it rest 15 minutes before carving.