Herb-Roasted Chicken
- 2 3 -to-4-pound chickens
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, plus 2 sprigs
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, plus 1 sprig torn in half
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 onion, halved
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 5 bunches scallions, quartered
- 2 pints grape tomatoes or small heirloom tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Pat the chicken dry; generously season the skin and inside the cavity with salt and pepper.
- Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 4 hours or overnight to dry out the skin.
- Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before roasting.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Mash the butter with the chopped thyme and chopped rosemary in a small bowl.
- Gently slide your fingers under the chicken skin on the breasts and legs to loosen it.
- Scoop some of the herbed butter with a spoon; slide the spoon under the skin and hold the skin in place while you remove the spoon.
- Smooth the skin to distribute the butter.
- Repeat with the remaining butter.
- Squeeze a lemon half into the cavity of each chicken, then stuff the lemon half inside.
- Stuff 1/2 onion, 3 garlic cloves, 1 thyme sprig and 1/2 rosemary sprig into each chicken cavity.
- Tie the legs together with twine.
- Set a rack in a large roasting pan; put the chicken on the rack and roast 25 minutes.
- Toss the scallions, tomatoes, olive oil and a large pinch of salt in a bowl, then add to the roasting pan.
- Remove the twine from the chicken and continue roasting until the skin is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 170 degrees F, about 50 more minutes.
- Transfer the chicken and vegetables to platters and let rest about 10 minutes before carving.
- Photograph by Anna Williams
chickens, kosher salt, unsalted butter, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, lemon, onion, garlic, bunches scallions, pints grape tomatoes, extravirgin olive oil
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/herb-roasted-chicken-recipe.html (may not work)