Butter and Herbs Roasted Chicken

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roasted chicken gets a lot of bad reviews because most times it is not done properly. The white meat remains tasteless and the skin, soggy. In this recipe, I am going to show you how I roast my chicken using butter, fresh herbs, salt and spices. Like most of my recipes, it is very easy to make and the result is amazing. The flesh is juicy and well seasoned and the skin is crispy. It goes well with roasted vegetables like potatoes. The method here can also be used for roasting other types of poultry including game birds like pheasant. This is a recipe which most of my friends look forward to. This recipe is a combination of my own recipe and that of  Laura Calder. The humble chicken never tasted so good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

(1) 1 Whole Chicken (About 3 to 4 pounds)

(2) Fresh Herbs (Thyme, Rosemary and Parsley)

(2) 1/2 Cup Butter (Divided into 2)

(4) Spices (Ground Ginger, Pepper, Smoked Paprika)

(5) Salt and Pepper to taste

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROCEDURE:

(1) The first step is to wash the chicken and dry it thoroughly. You are going to be roasting it in butter and water will slow down the process.

(2) Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

(3) Next, make a spice rub using ground ginger, pepper, salt and smoked paprika. Feel free to add whatever spices you love to the spice rub.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4) Next, make some compound butter. Take a spring of each of your fresh herbs and mince the herbs. Mix the minced herbs with half of your butter (1/4 cup) along with some salt and black pepper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(5) Using your fingers (you do not want to work with long nails here), create pockets between the chicken skin and the flesh. This should be done in the breast area, the sides of the chicken and parts of the thigh. Be careful not to make holes in the skin when doing this. Stuff the compound butter under the skin of the chicken. This is what will flavor the chicken flesh during roasting. Do not skip this step.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(6) Stuff the chicken. Take about 2 teaspoons of your spice rub and pour it inside the chicken cavity. Stuff the cavity with some fresh herbs and any leftover compound butter. I always use rosemary and thyme for my roasted chicken. Though you can use whatever herbs you like, I will advice that you try this blend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(7) Next, truss the chicken. When you truss a chicken, you tie the legs and wings firmly to the body of the chicken using kitchen twine. This helps the chicken to cook evenly, prevents the wings and legs from burning and helps keep the chicken in shape. Trussing a chicken also helps seal in the stuffing. You can learn how to truss a chicken here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(8) Next, rub the outside of the chicken with the remaining spice rub.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(9) Place the chicken in your baking dish (I used a cast iron skillet here) on one side and place the remaining 1/4 cup of butter on top of it. You have the option of placing your veggies round the chicken so they cook in the butter and chicken fat. Ensure that your baking dish is large enough to accommodate any extra veggies if you want to go this route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(10) Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for 1 hour, turning it every 15 minutes. After the first 15 minutes, turn it to the other side, then on its breast and finally on its back. If the chicken is not ready after 1 hour, bake it for some extra minutes on its back. You will know that your chicken is ready if the juices run clear when it is pieced or if the internal temperature gets to 160 degrees F when measured with a thermometer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(11) Allow the chicken to rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before carving it. This will give the juices time to redistribute and settle in the chicken. Cut off the twine and carve the chicken.