Roasted Chicken

3.25 lb organic chicken

1 lemon

4 tbsp butter

kosher salt & fresh black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375*F. Wash the chicken thoroughly, inside and out, then allow to drain and rest for 10 min.

Place the chicken on a baking pan with a lip, breast side up, making sure the wings are tucked under, then put a lemon into the cavity.

Carefully massage 2 tbsp butter on each side of the chicken between the skin and breast meat without puncturing the skin. Rub it around really well, then rub your hands all over the chicken to spread around a thin layer of butter to help brown the skin and help the seasonings stick.

Liberally season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Cook the chicken for approximately 90 min (20 min per pound, plus 20 min). Remove from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for 30 min before carving.

How To Carve A Chicken

I like to start on the outside and work my way in. First, the drumsticks.

Using a sharp knife, make a cut on the top between the drumstick and the thigh until you reach the joint.

Using one hand, begin to gently lift up the drumstick while cutting horizontally into the joint.

Now the drumstick should be able to be lifted up to reveal the joint (my knife is just below the joint). Cut between the joint to remove the drumstick completely.

Repeat with the other drumstick.

Now to remove the thigh, begin cutting between the center of the chicken and the thigh.

Begin pulling the thigh away from the body of the chicken, continuing your cut until the thigh is completely removed.

Repeat with the other thigh.

Remove both chicken wings, which I only use in the stock. They are easy to chop off, then set aside.

Now it's time to tackle the chicken breasts.

I start by cutting the breasts in half down the length of the breast bone.

Then, begin slowly cutting the breast away from the rib cage by keeping the blade next to the bones. Take your time and make sure you're cutting from top to bottom to ensure a clean cut.

Once the breast is cut away, slice through the skin and plate.

Repeat with the other breast.

Before starting the stock, strain the chicken fat from the roasting pan into a container through 2 layers of cheesecloth and set aside. This fat will be combined with the fat made in the chicken stock, and then used as the base of the gravy.

Recipe printed from Le Grand Fromage: http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/

URL to recipe: http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.com/2010/11/chicken-roast-stock-gravy-mashed.html