Whole Roasted Chicken

Whole Roasted Chicken with new potatoes and carrots

Makes 8 servings

1 each Whole Chicken

4 Tablespoons Dill

1 cup Butter, room temperature

4 each Lemons (zest, cut in half and juiced, reserve juice, zest and halves)

1 pound new potatoes

1 bag baby carrots

To taste Salt & Pepper

1 cup Olive Oil

Remove the neck and offal’s from the cavity of the chicken. Rinse entire bird carefully in HOT water. (My mom thinks that pouring boiling water over your bird before cooking helps to tenderize it. It’s never been confirmed, but I do it anyways). Pat the bird dry with paper towels and place BREAST side DOWN in your roasting pan. Snap the wings in place (see photos).

Turn bird over so the breasts are facing up and stuff the lemon halves into the cavity. Pull drumsticks together and tie. Take the skin at the opening of the cavity and shove your fingers in both the left and right sides. Take your butter, dill and zest and combine. Shove equal amounts into each air pocket you have just made on top of the breasts. Cover bird with a little salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes and carrots in the lemon juice and olive oil. Put under the bird in the bottom of the roasting pan. Place in a pre heated oven at 350 degrees. Every 15 minutes take a basting tool and pour the hot oil from the bottom of the pan over the entire chicken. Once your chicken comes to 140 degrees raise oven temperature to 400. Continue to baste. Once the internal tempeture is at 155 remove from oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes. I know you are not supposed to eat under cooked chicken and a chicken should be cooked to 165. BUT it will continue to cook after it has been removed from the oven and won’t over cook this way. Never consume undercooked chicken. Serve with the potatoes and carrots and a green salad.