Whole Roasted Chicken
By Audrey Plant
Ingredients
4-pound whole chicken, patted dry
3-pounds medium yellow potatoes, cut lengthwise into wedges
2 teaspoons kosher salt (potatoes)
½ teaspoon black pepper (potatoes)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, additional for drizzling
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons kosher salt, separated (chicken)
2 teaspoons black pepper, separated (chicken)
1 head of garlic, halved
1 lemon, halved
6 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Remove the whole chicken from the fridge, and allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Using paper towels, pat dry skin, allowing no wet areas on the skin.
In a large roasting pan, add potatoes, salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil. Toss until evenly coated.
On a cutting board, season the chicken cavity with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and 1 tablespoon of black pepper. Fill the cavity with lemon and garlic.
Using your hands, release the skin on top of the chicken from the meat. Creating a gap between the meat and skin.
Using about ½ a stick of butter, massage the butter into the breast meat. Leaving pockets of butter underneath the skin.
Season the whole chicken evenly (including the underbelly) with the remaining 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and 1 tablespoon of black pepper.
Stuff 3 sprigs of thyme and 2 sprigs of rosemary into the cavity.
Bend the chicken’s wings back (you will hear a snapping sound), underneath the bottom of the bird. Place the seasoned bird on top of the potato wedges. The wings will act as a bit of prop-up on top of the potatoes.
Place about 1 tablespoon of butter in each of the crevices between the legs and body of chicken. Rubbing the butter directly onto the skin.
Add remaining butter, thyme, and rosemary around the pan evenly. Break up the butter into small pieces and distribute evenly.
Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over the entire surface of the pan (including chicken).
Place in oven for 1.5 hours or until golden brown and chicken registers 165F internal temperature.
