When I'm at the meat counter during my weekly shopping trips I prefer to buy whole chickens. Murray's chickens are my favorite. I don't really like to freeze meat so whatever I buy this week, we eat. A lot of times when I buy a pack of chicken legs or a pack of chicken breasts they never last, it seems like I have to cook them today or else!... despite the later "use by" date printed on the package. But I find that my chicken stays fresher longer when I buy a whole chicken and butcher it myself. Butchering a chicken isn't for everyone, but if you are up to it there are a million ways to do it. You just have to find what you are most comfortable with. Although I buy a chicken every week and do all sorts of different things with it, sometimes I decide to just roast the entire thing. Sometimes there is leftover chicken perfect for a salad or a sandwich or something. Just like there are a million ways to butcher a whole chicken, there are a million and one ways to cook it. I find the easiest way to cook and serve a whole chicken is by removing the back bone and laying it flat. The chicken cooks evenly and beautifully. This particular recipe will have your home smelling so fragrant and delicious, people will think you've been cooking all day!
serves about 4 people
2 Tablespoons of butter
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 large clove of garlic, sliced
2 Tablespoons of flat leaf parsley, chopped
3 sprigs of thyme, leaves only
1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
1 3-5 lbs whole roasting chicken
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small sauce pan, melt butter, olive oil, and garlic over low heat. Once melted an warmed through, remove from heat and add parsley, thyme, and lemon juice. Set aside. Rinse chicken and pat it dry. On a stable workspace with a cutting board for raw chicken and a sharp chef's knife, sit the chicken up on the board. Identify the spine. Starting at the very top of the chicken, slice down both sides of the spine removing the back bone. Lay the chicken flat on a sheet pan. Using a brush liberally place the melted butter mixture all over the chicken. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Place in oven and cook for 45 minutes to an hour or until the juices run clear. Let the chicken rest out of the oven for about 10 minutes before serving.
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