Roasted Chicken with Lemon Butter

• 1 4-pound whole chicken, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 1 cup basil leaves, thinly sliced
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 lemons
• 5 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
• 2 scallions, very thinly sliced
• flakey coarse sea salt
• 1 3/4 pounds small to medium potatoes (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter), cut lengthwise into quarters
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 good-sized bunch parsley, stems trimmed to 1 inch (1 1/2 packed cups)

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F with the rack in the middle.
2. Slip a finger under the skin of each of the breasts, then loosen the skin from the breasts and thighs.
3. Put the basil and butter in a bowl.
4. Finely zest the lemons into the bowl and add the garlic and scallions and mix together.
5. Using your hands, gently push the mixture into the spaces you created between the chicken skin and meat, being careful not to tear the skin.
6. Season the chicken all over, using 2 to 3 teaspoons coarse salt and generous pepper, then tie the legs together with kitchen string.
7. In a large bowl, toss your pick of potatoes with oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a generous grind of pepper to coat well.
8. Cut a lemon into quarters and set aside.
9. Put a roasting pan (not nonstick) or baking dish in the oven to heat for 10 minutes.
10. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately put the potatoes and any oil left in the bowl into the pan, keeping them in as much of a single layer as possible, and pushed to the edges of the pan to make room for the chicken (its fine if the bird sits on some of the potatoes); put the chicken into the pan, breast-side up.
11. Roast for 20 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven and turn the chicken breast-side down.
12. Continue to roast for another 20 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven and turn the bird breast-side up again.
13. Sprinkle the parsley over the potatoes, then stir the parsley and potatoes to coat with the pan drippings.
14. Squeeze 3 pieces of the cut lemon over the chicken, and put the squeezed rinds into the roasting pan.
15. Continue to roast until the juices of the chicken run clear when the thigh is pierced with a fork, 20 to 30 minutes more.
16. Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest in the pan for 20 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board and carve.
17. Spoon the pan juices over the chicken and serve with the potatoes and roasted lemons.

chicken, basil, unsalted butter, lemons, garlic, scallions, salt, potatoes, extravirgin olive oil, parsley

Taken from www.foodrepublic.com/recipes/roasted-chicken-with-lemon-butter-recipe/ (may not work)