Classic Roast Chicken

By Lynette !
@breezermom

This recipe produces a wonderfully moist chicken with crispy skin. The secret is the high temp in the last 15 minutes. Because of the high temp, cast iron cookware is recommended.....not required, but recommended. You may get smoke with other types of cookware, so be prepared. Adjust your cooking time if you have a bigger bird....make sure you reach a temp of 165°.

Rating:

★★★★★ 2 votes

Comments:

3 Comments

Serves:

Prep:

20 Min

Cook:

1 Hr

Method:

Roast

Ingredients

1: 4 pound whole roasting chicken
2 tsp: unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp: fresh thyme, minced
1 tsp: paprika
1 tsp: ground coriander
2 tsp: extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp: salt
1/4 tsp: black pepper, freshly ground
2 clove: garlic, minced
3: shallots, peeled and halved
3: fresh thyme leaves
1: lemon, quartered

How to Make Classic Roast Chicken

Step-by-Step

1Preheat oven to 350°.
2Discard giblets and neck from chicken. (Save for another use if desired) Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breasts and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat.
3Combine butter and next 7 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl. Rub mixture under the loosened skin, over flesh; rub over top of the skin.
4Tie ends of the legs together with cooking string. Lift the wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken. Place chicken, breast side up, on a rack; place rack in roasting pan. Place shallots, thyme sprigs, and lemon in cavity of chicken.
5Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.
6Increase oven temperature to 450° (do not remove chicken); bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in meaty part of leg registers 165°.
7Remove chicken from pan; let stand 10 minutes. Discard skin if you are watching your fat intake, eat it if you just can't resist the crispy skin! Carve chicken.