When I was old enough to move out of my parents house, I swore I would never eat chicken again....and I didn't....until something magical happened. It was just another day at Skills Class in culinary school. I walked into class, pulled out my knives, got my cutting board, you know...the usual. Everything was going fine...until Chef Anderson announced that we would be cooking **scary music** the dreaded roast chicken. I was heartbroken. At that point in my life, I was completely convinced that there was no way in H-E-Double hockey sticks that anyone could ever bake a chicken that had flavor. Not just flavor on the surface, but delicious and moist flavor all the way down to the bone. Most chicken I had eaten in my 20something years of life was overcooked, dry, and frankly...once you get past the skin it's just plain bland. I went to nice restaurants hoping to taste delicious chicken, but some of these places just covered the chicken in sauce in an attempt to hide the dried cardboard on my plate. It was official....flavorful, fall-off-the-bone roast chicken just couldn't be done. Well....I was wrong.
That day at culinary school, I learned how to make the best roast chicken I had ever had in my life. Some of you may think I'm being dramatic, but I'm not! I made that chicken many times after that day, and it came out delicious every time. My chicken hiatus had officially ended and I was hooked!
Now I would like to share this roast chicken recipe with you all. Basting the chicken is one of the secrets. YOU MUST BASTE!!! This helps make the chicken extremely moist. Dried herbs can be used for this recipe but it will NOT taste the same, and in my opinion tastes better with the fresh herbs. Let me know if you have any questions. Hope you enjoy!!
THE BEST ROAST CHICKEN EVER
1 Whole Chicken
2 sticks butter, unsalted, softened at room temp
1 bunch fresh sage
1 bunch fresh rosemary
1 bunch fresh oregano
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 lemon, cut in half
1 head garlic, cut in half
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350F. Rub softened butter underneath the skin of the chicken and all over the top. Season the chicken under the the skin and on top with salt and pepper.
Place half of the fresh herbs underneath the skin of the chicken breast, making sure not to puncture the skin (you may cut the herbs in half to make them fit easier under the skin). If possible, try to get some herbs under the skin of the chicken legs as well.
Place the other half of the herbs, as well as the garlic and lemon, in the cavity of the chicken.
Tuck wings underneath the body of chicken so they won't burn.
Place chicken in a roasting pan (on a roasting rack if you have one). Cook in the oven for approximately 45 minutes- 1 hour (about 18 minutes per pound). Be sure to baste the chicken every 10-15 minutes.
Place a food thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken, which is the thigh. When the temperature is 160F, remove chicken from the oven and cover with aluminum foil. Let rest for 10-15 minutes.
Remove ingredients (i.e. herbs, garlic) from the cavity and from underneath the skin before serving. Enjoy!!
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