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Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Thyme

Roasted Chicken with lemon and thyme is a must have in your recipe collection! It's budget friendly, requires minimal prep time and once you get it in the oven, demands very little attention. Once you've mastered it, you have an easy weeknight dinner at your finger tips, or a beautiful and delicious main course to entertain guests. Brushed with melted butter before baking, the skin gets brown and crispy in the oven, while the white meat retains its moisture. Forget the scented candles! As the chicken cooks, it releases the warm aromas of lemon and thyme, making the entire house come alive with the comforting aromas of home.
Tips
Adding coarse ground sea salt to the top of the chicken after brushing it with melted butter adds a burst of flavor and an extra crunch to the golden, crispy skin.
I suggest cooking the chicken on a roasting rack and using the convection setting on your oven, if available. The rack elevates the chicken and the convection setting utilizes a fan that keeps a steady flow of air circulating in the oven as the chicken cooks. Combined, this will cook the chicken from all sides and help make the skin crispy.
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Servings: 4 people
Course: Meat and Poultry
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the chicken
  • 1 4-5 pound roasting chicken
  • 4 tbspn melted butter
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1 lemon sliced into quarters
  • 1/2 onion cut into large chunks
  • 1 bunch thyme
For the pan sauce
  • 1 tbspn butter
  • 1/2 minced shallot
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 2 lemons, zest and juice

Method
 

For the chicken
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Check the cavity for giblets or innards and remove them. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, and pat dry with a paper towel.
  3. Season the inside and outside of the chicken with salt and pepper. Be liberal with your seasoning.
  4. Stuff the cavity with lemons, onion and a bunch of thyme.
  5. Place the chicken on the rack in the roasting pan and truss it with chicken twine, making sure the legs and wings are tucked tight to the body so they don't burn in the oven.
  6. Brush the outside of the chicken with melted butter.
  7. Sprinkle with coarse ground salt. Transfer to the bottom rack of the oven and cook for 90 minutes or until the juices run clear when cut at the intersection of the leg and thigh. Once cooked, allow the chicken to rest in the roasting pan for 15-20 minutes before carving it.
For the pan sauce
  1. Meanwhile, start on the pan sauce. Put the roasting pan on the stove, over medium high heat.
  2. Add one tablespoon of butter and stir with a wooden spoon, releasing the brown bits at the bottom of the pan.
  3. Add the minced shallots and garlic.
  4. Add 1/2 cup white wine, 1/2 cup chicken stock, and the zest and juice of two lemons to brighten the flavor.
  5. Taste and adjust seasonings.