Roasting a golden brown chicken

Roasting A Chicken

Roasting a chicken is a lot easier than most people realize.

Everyone loves a golden brown, tender and juicy roast chicken.

The succulent flavors, beautiful aroma and beautiful tender chicken brings back great memories for anyone who has sat down to enjoy their mother’s perfect roast chicken.

This simple but timeless roast chicken recipe is perfect for anyone who is thinking about roasting a chicken for dinner tonight.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 six-pound roasting chicken

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 medium onions, peeled and sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick

1 lemon

3 large cloves garlic, peeled

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 cup homemade chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat

Directions

1. Leave the chicken and 1 tablespoon butter to stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
2. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
3. Remove the giblets from the chicken cavity.
4. Rinse the chicken inside and out under cold running water.
5. Dry the chicken thoroughly with paper towels.
6. Tuck the wing tips under the body
7. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
8. Place onion slices in two rows that are touching In the center of a heavy-duty roasting pan,
9. Place the palm of your hand on top of lemon and, pressing down, roll lemon back and forth several times. This softens the lemon and allows the juice to flow more freely. Pierce entire surface of lemon with a fork.
10. Using the side of a large knife, gently press on garlic cloves to open slightly. Insert garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and lemon into cavity.
11. Place chicken in pan, on onion slices.
12. Cut about 18 inches of kitchen twine, bring chicken legs forward, cross them, and tie together.
13. Spread the softened butter over entire surface of chicken, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
14. Place in the oven, and roast until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear when pierced, about 1 1/2 hours.
15. When chicken seems done, insert an instant-read thermometer into the breast, then the thigh. The breast temperature should read 180 degrees and the thigh 190 degrees.
16. Remove chicken from oven and transfer to a cutting board.
17. Let chicken stand 10 to 15 minutes so the juices settle.

Gravy

1. Pour the pan drippings into a shallow bowl or fat separator, and leave onions in the pan. Leave any brown baked-on bits in the bottom of the roasting pan, and remove and discard any blackened bits.
2. Using a large spoon or fat separator, skim off and discard as much fat as possible. Pour the remaining drippings and the juices that have collected under the resting chicken back into the roasting pan.
3. Place on the stove over medium-high heat to cook, about 1 minute.
4. Add chicken stock, raise heat to high, and, using a wooden spoon, stir up and combine the brown bits with the stock until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
5. Strain the gravy into a small bowl, pressing on onions to extract any liquid.
6. Discard onions, and stir in the remaining tablespoon of cold butter until melted and incorporated.
7. Untie the legs, and remove and discard garlic, thyme, and lemon.
8. Carve and serve gravy on the side.

Roasting a chicken has never been easier or taste more delicious.