Perfect Roast Chicken

Ingredients
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1 4- to 5-pound whole free-range chicken
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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1 lemon, halved
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1 garlic bulb, halved through the equator (horizontally)
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1 sprig fresh rosemary
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4 sprigs fresh thyme
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2 sprigs fresh sage
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1/4 bunch fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley (about 4 sprigs)
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2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
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2 cups button mushrooms
Directions
1.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Rinse the chicken with cool water, inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Season the cavity with salt and pepper, then stuff with lemon, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and sage. In a food processor combine the parsley and butter and process until well combined. Season the butter with salt and pepper.
2.
Place the chicken, breast side up, in a roasting pan. Tie the legs of the chicken together with kitchen twine. Rub the herb butter over chicken. Put the mushrooms in the bottom of the pan; roast chicken and mushrooms for 1 hour 45 minutes, until the drumsticks move easily in their sockets and the juices run clear (180 degrees F in the thickest part of the thigh). Baste the chicken with the drippings and rotate
the pan every 30 minutes to ensure a crisp, golden skin. Remove the chicken to a platter, tent with foil, and let stand for 10 minutes
before carving.
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how-tos
Recommended Recipe:
Best-Ever Roast Chicken
This is the classic roast chicken that all cooks should have in their arsenal. One of the secrets to success is starting it out breast-side down, which keeps the breast meat juicy. Though the chicken is fabulous on its own, you can take it to the next level with a few more ingredients by making a simple pan sauce.
See Recipe

