Thanksgiving Practice: Herb Roasted Chicken

Now that it’s November, it is officially time to start Thanksgiving prep, and this roasted chicken recipe is a great way to start practicing for that turkey! It’s also just a great recipe to have in your repertoire, because who doesn’t love roasted chicken? It’s a total show stopper, yet so simple once you get the hang of it.

Let me tell you, the first time I roasted a chicken, I had to have my boyfriend help me and take the remaining part of the neck out of the bird because I just couldn’t handle it! It was a bit of a disaster, but it tasted great in the end!

Insider Tip: Wear latex gloves to deal with the chicken, and have a sharp pair of kitchen scissors and tongs handy. Now, if I have to take out a piece of the neck or cut some extra fat off, I use the kitchen shears and tongs to take care of it. Much easier and more sterile with the gloves!

Sorry if I’m scaring you a little with all this neck talk, but I figure it is better to be prepared for it than not. Once you do it for the first time, it’s really not bad at all. I promise!

For the Chicken:

• One 4-to 5-pound chicken
• Kosher salt
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeded
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 small onion, peeled
• 1 small bunch fresh thyme
• 2 tsp room temp salted butter

For the Herb Sauce:

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 shallot, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking, and make sure the cavity and bird is all cleaned out. I usually run it under cool water then pat it dry very thoroughly. You don’t want a wet chicken, or the seasoning won’t stick to it.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine the extra-virgin olive oil, parsley, mint, red pepper flakes, garlic, lemon zest and juice, jalapeno and shallots in a bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. It should be the consistency of a pesto. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Lift the skin off each chicken breast and rub 2 tablespoons of room temperature butter between the skin and each breast. I find the best way to lift the skin is to put in a pair of latex gloves and use your hands,. You want to create a pocket in between the skin and the meet to put the butter in to get the skin crispy and keep the meat moist.

Put the garlic, onion, thyme and lemon slices in the cavity of the chicken. Rub the entire chicken liberally with the herb mixture, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put the chicken in an ovenproof roasting pan on top of the wire rack, breast-side up, and roast until the thigh reaches 165 degrees F, or until the cavity juices run clear, about 1-1 ½ hours. The easiest way to do this is to put a digital thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, set it to 165 degrees, and pull the chicken out when it beeps that it has reached that temp. Just make sure to check other spots around the bird too to make sure everything is cooked. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15-20 minutes.

There you have it: Thanksgiving Practice: Herb Roasted Chicken.