Perfect
Roast Chicken
I love love love roasted chicken so I really enjoy this recipe.
Ingredients
1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus
20 sprigs
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half
crosswise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter,
melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly
sliced
4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
1 bulb of fennel, tops removed,
and cut into wedges
Olive oil
Directions
1.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2.
Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out.
Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry.
Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the
bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of
the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the
legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the
chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with
salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of
the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.
3. Roast the
chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a
leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with
aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve
it with the vegetables.