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The Essential Roasted Chicken


roasted chicken has to be one of the most satisfying meals, both in preparation and consumption! if you know me very well, you know that i almost idolize ina garten. if she boiled a shoe, i'd probably crave it. she makes everything look tasty and she just seems like someone i should know. and, as it turns out, amanda just recently met her! ina has a great recipe, from which this recipe has been adapted. i hate to improve upon perfection, but i did make some slight changes to her recipe and i think it adds lots of flavor. try it for yourself! roasted chicken makes the perfect family meal, but it is also very impressive to make for company! add some mashed potatoes and roasted brussels sprouts and you're on your way to heaven!


ROASTED CHICKEN

1 5-6 pound chicken (fed my family of 5 with leftovers for one more meal!)

kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

dried thyme (i used about 2 tablespoons, use as to your liking)

1 lemon

1 head garlic (cut in half crosswise)

half a stick of softened butter

1 onion, quartered


take chicken out of fridge and leave on counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour to temper. unwrap chicken and remove giblets and neck, discard. rinse chicken inside and out, pat dry with paper towels. liberally salt and pepper inside of chicken, then add dried thyme. place chicken in roasting pan. stuff the inside cavity with garlic and onion. squeeze lemon inside and stuff the remaining peel with garlic and onion. tie together legs with kitchen twine and tuck under the wing flaps. chicken should be breast side up. very carefully pull up the skin on the breast side and rub chicken with half of the butter. be very careful to not tear the skin! take the remaining butter and rub over the top of skin and the rest of the chicken. liberally salt and pepper the outside of the bird. place in 425 degree oven and cook for about 1 1/2 hours or until the juice runs clear when you insert a knife between the leg and body or until the internal temperature on a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees.

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