Garlic Herb Butter Roasted Chicken

Diets

Ingredients

Description

In which Sarah Cooks, Eats, and Photographs

Ingredients

1 5lb chicken
1 tablespoon garlic paste (about 2 small cloves of garlic, grated on microplane grater)
1 tablespoon minced rosemary
2 tablespoons minced thyme
3 tablespoons minced chives
4 tablespoons butter, softened
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a small bowl combine garlic paste, minced herbs, and softened butter. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or fork.
To prepare the chicken- bring to room temperature and dry thoroughly. Salt and pepper the bird all over.
Using your hands, smear the bird all over with the garlic herb butter. With your fingers, gently separate the skin from the breast meat and smear extra garlic herb butter under the skin. Repeat with the thigh meat- note: you may need to cut small slits in the skin on the underside of the bird to be able to tuck the butter between the thigh meat and skin.
Truss the bird with cooking twine.
Place in roaster or cast iron skillet and roast, covered, for 40 minutes, and uncovered for 60 minutes. (Or if you have a different sized bird, a good rule of thumb is about 20 minutes per pound).
Baste every 20 minutes (or, if youre like me, whenever you remember) with pan juices and melted butter.
Your chicken will be finished when thigh meat temperature reads 170 and breast meat temperature is at least 165.