Roasted Chicken with Fresh Herb Compound Butter
I’d mentioned earlier that I’ve been charged with coming up with a new way to use up a whole chicken (not sure if you remember that story!?!). Anyway, this recipe in inspired by simplicity. I find myself looking to get back to basics, I want the natural goodness of each ingredient to shine through; summer is the perfect time of year for this.
Serves 4
3 – 4 pound (1.6-2.0 kg) whole chicken, butterflied
2 tbsp softened (salted or unsalted) butter
½ tsp coarse salt, plus more
¼ tsp pepper, plus more
½ Cup fresh chopped herbs (I went with parsley, basil, sage and rosemary)
Season the inside of the chicken with some of the coarse salt and pepper and then place it down in a roasting pan ( so it’s skin-side up).
Combine the butter, 1/s tsp coarse salt, ¼ tsp pepper and the fresh herbs and rub the mixture under the skin (between the skin and meat and on the outside of the skin.
Rub the butter mixt6ure all over the top of the chicken and season with coarse salt and pepper.
Let the chicken marinate (in the fridge) for 1-2 hours, up to 24 hours ahead of time.
Roast at 400 for an hour to an hour and a half, until the thickest part of the chicken runs clear when pierced (or registers 165 on a thermometer).
Remove from the oven and let it rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
Notes:
- To butterfly the chicken you’ll need a strong pair of scissors, ideally poultry sheers. Place the chicken breast side down so the spine is facing up. Carefully cut alongside of the spine all the way down the chicken and then repeat down the other side (you’re literally cutting the spine off). Then open the cavity gently; you’ll notice a piece of cartilage at the top near where the neck would be. Cut a slit into the top of this cartilage and then gently pull it out with your hands (you may need to pry it a bit).
Roasted Chicken with Fresh Herb Compound Butter
Ingredients
- 3-4 pound whole chicken (1.6-2.0 kg), butterflied
- 2 tbsp butter (salted or unsalted), softened
- 1/2 tsp Coarse salt , plus more
- 1/4 tsp pepper , plus more
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped herbs (I went with parsley, basil, sage and rosemary)
Instructions
- Season the inside of the chicken with some of the coarse salt and pepper and then place it down in a roasting pan ( so it’s skin-side up).
- Combine the butter, 1/s tsp coarse salt, ¼ tsp pepper and the fresh herbs and rub the mixture under the skin (between the skin and meat and on the outside of the skin.
- Rub the butter mixt6ure all over the top of the chicken and season with coarse salt and pepper.
- Let the chicken marinate (in the fridge) for 1-2 hours, up to 24 hours ahead of time.
- Roast at 400 for an hour to an hour and a half, until the thickest part of the chicken runs clear when pierced (or registers 165 on a thermometer).
- Remove from the oven and let it rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
Recipe Notes
- To butterfly the chicken you’ll need a strong pair of scissors, ideally poultry sheers. Place the chicken breast side down so the spine is facing up. Carefully cut alongside of the spine all the way down the chicken and then repeat down the other side (you’re literally cutting the spine off). Then open the cavity gently; you’ll notice a piece of cartilage at the top near where the neck would be. Cut a slit into the top of this cartilage and then gently pull it out with your hands (you may need to pry it a bit).