Winner winner chicken dinner!

Okay, I apologize for the title, I couldn't resist. I love roasted chickens, it doesn't matter the time of year, or how wildly inappropriately hot it is outside ( 106F today ) or the crazy looks I get from people.

They bring with them the sense of family gathered around a big table, with gravy being poured over buttery mashed potatoes, steaming fluffy rolls in their basket. They give you so much beyond one dinner as well. Left overs for tacos,  chicken salad and delicious flavorful stock. Or giving your kitty a special treat.

I used a 3.8 pound chicken, remember to check the temperature after cooking, if your bird is bigger you'll want to extend cooking times. White meat should be 160F and the dark meat should be 180F. Preheat your oven to 425, make sure your racks in your oven are in the right place, you want one in the middle and enough room above for the chicken.

Rinse and pat your chicken dry, check for feathers and trim any extra fat.

Gather your flavor helpers! Here we have some rosemary, thyme, 2 tablespoons of salted butter, half a medium yellow onion, a clove of garlic and two bay leaves.

Ooooh naughty!

Get 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and grind 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Salt and pepper the inside of the bird and stuff the herbs, onion, garlic clove, and bay leaves in to the bird. Tie the legs and then melt the two tablespoons of butter and cover the chicken. Also don't get salt everywhere like I did.

Get a little bowl ( I used a teacup ) and put 1 and a half teaspoons of kosher salt, half a teaspoon of paprika and then grind 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Mix it all up and then rub your chicken down with it.

Place chicken in ( 425F ) preheated oven  and set the timer for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes drop the temperature down to 350F and set the timer for an hour.

My little kitchen buddy kept me company while the chicken was cooking.

Bast your bird every 20 minutes and if you find that the skin is getting too dark make an aluminum foil tent to put over it. 

After the hour and a half is up check the temperature of the bird, if the numbers are right pull it out and cover with aluminum foil for 20 minutes. An easy way to tell if it's done is if the leg comes away from the bird easily. When the 20 minutes are up it's time to carve the bird.

The rosemary and thyme penetrate the meat enduing it with a rustic but full flavor. The onions and garlic give it an earthy taste, the salt and pepper bring out and compliment the natural flavors of the chicken perfectly. Don't forget about the oysters! In my opinion they're the best part and they never make it to the table. In France they're called "sot-l'y-laisse" which means "the fool leaves it there." They're located on the birds lower back near the thighs.

The dish I used to roast the chicken in is a Heinz promotional dish made in 1953, it was the first promotional Pyrex ever did. 

Don't worry, I'll post some weather appropriate recipes next week, let me just have this moment of insanity before it gets above 110. Happy cooking!