Roasted chicken and veggies with herb butter

Chicken. The word brings joy to my heart, disdain to my husband's. Well, maybe not exactly.

I tend to rely on chicken as my "go to" meal. Dan's reaction: "Chicken...again!?"  I think he is just jealous because every time he makes it, it turns out salmonella pink. ;)

There are a million plus chicken recipes, but sometimes you just crave a classic roasted bird, done perfectly with crispy skin and juicy meat. This recipe is just that, paired flavors that don't overwhelm, just compliment the chicken. This recipe has lots of fresh herbs, clarified butter, lemon and roasted veggies nestled underneath. The vegetables get super tender and soak up all the flavors of the herbs and chicken jus. I find myself just standing over this bird in the kitchen, eating chunks with my fingers. It's quite the sight to see. 

For this recipe to be done paleo, you need to clarify the butter. Basically, this just means melting the butter over a low heat and skimming off all of the milk fat. Clarified butter is also known as ghee. You can buy it, but why?  Doing it yourself is so easy, plus it will save you money! Not going paleo? Just use regular butter.

Spring for the fresh herbs for this recipe. Use whatever you need, then freeze the rest in a plastic bag. It will be ready to go when you are.

Roasted chicken and veggies with herb butter

1/2 stick butter-clarified (instructions to follow)

One tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, plus 2 stalks for cavity

One tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, plus 3-4 stalks for cavity

One 5-6 lb chicken, gizzards removed

Two lemons

Three cloves garlic, chopped

Two medium sized onions,  rough chop

Three celery stalks, rough chop

Three carrots, rough chop

Salt and pepper

Kitchen string

Take your chicken out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about 20 minutes or so while you prep the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Start by clarifying your butter. Place it in a small saucepan over low heat and let the milk solids come to the top. Skim them off with a spoon. Pour into a small bowl and set aside.

Milk solids at the top, fat at the bottom

Chop your herbs-rosemary, thyme and two cloves of garlic. Add to the clarified butter and stir to combine ingredients. Place the butter in the freezer for a few minutes to harden while you prepare your chicken. Chop your lemon into 6 wedges.  Chop the carrots, onions, and celery into large chunks. Mince your other clove of garlic. Set aside.

Grab your bird and some paper towels.  Dry the chicken well to ensure the skin gets really crispy. Sit it up on it's little rear end in a large dutch oven and season the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the rosemary and thyme stalks, the lemon wedges, and one of your chopped onions.

Now for the bondage:

Tie the little bird's legs together and tuck the wings under so all portions cook equally.

Let's get messy here. Grab your clarified butter out of the freezer, it should have solidified by now. Get your hands underneath the skin of the chicken so you are touching the actual flesh.  Make little pockets and stuff the clarified butter underneath the skin. Rub the butter into the bird like you are giving it a deep tissue massage. These butter pockets melt and baste the chicken while cooking, not to mention the flavor they give the vegetables.  No dry, tasteless bird here!

Once you have given the chicken a proper rubdown, season the outside well with salt and pepper. Place the vegetables and minced garlic clove around the chicken. Sprinkle the veggies with salt and pepper too. Remember, you have to season each layer to reach full flavor potential. 

Roast at 425 degrees for an hour and a half, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. I like to toss the veggies around about every 30 minutes to ensure equal browning. Let the chicken rest for 20 minutes before slicing. Don't forget to remove the string! :) Garnish with more fresh herbs and lemon slices.

Try to be a better person than me. Enjoy with utensils.