Perfect Roast Chicken

Fresh thyme, lemon and garlic perfume this succulent chicken from the inside while it roasts!

June’s Supper Club theme was Ina Garten, and let’s just say it was one of the most delicious meals we’ve had as a group. Everything was pure, delicious comfort food.

It was our turn to host, so we made 2 main courses and a cocktail. A friend of mine recommended this roast chicken recipe, and it did not disappoint!

Lemon, thyme and garlic go inside the chicken, and it’s surrounded by root veggies while it roasts. The flavors work together absolutely beautifully!

The directions were a bit odd – they instruct you to put all of the thyme inside the chicken, but also instruct you to put it with the veggies on the outside of the chicken. I saved a few sprigs from the bunch for the veggies and stuffed the rest inside.

I also put the veggies in a big bowl to toss them with the oil and seasoning instead of attempting to do that around a chicken in the pan. I put a rack in the roasting pan, put the chicken on that, and then poured the veggies all around and spread them out. It worked really well.

The skin on the chicken was beautifully golden and delicious. The lemon and herbs permeated the meat, and the veggies were nicely caramelized. It was an outstanding chicken!

Until now, we always went straight to Thomas Keller’s Favorite Simple Roast Chicken since it’s soooo delicious, but now I think we’ll alternate between that and this recipe. It was absolutely delicious!!

Perfect Roast Chicken

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Description

Fresh thyme, lemon and garlic perfume this succulent chicken from the inside while it roasts!

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large bunch fresh thyme
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
• 1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
• 4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.
3. Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

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Notes

Recipe from Barefoot Contessa – Ina Garten

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