Roasted Chicken

Instructions

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1. 1 Gather ingredients. Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat it to 425°F. Remove the chicken from its packaging.
2. 2 Remove the innards from the chicken.
3. 3 Dry the chicken thoroughly inside and out with paper towels.
4. 4 Dry brine the chicken by rubbing salt on it, inside and out (on top of the skin). Use 1 teaspoon of kosher salt or coarse sea salt per pound of meat. Or ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt or iodized salt per pound of meat. Let it rest uncovered in your fridge for at least an hour, but preferably overnight.
5. 5 Chop the vegetables. Quarter an onion, slice the carrots, and quarter the potatoes.
6. 6 Add the dried rosemary to the softened butter and mix thoroughly.
7. 7 Half the bulb of garlic and quarter the lemon.
8. 8 Add the prepared vegetables to the bottom of your roasting pan.*
9. 9 Place the chicken on a rack over the vegetables and pat it dry again, brushing off any extra salt.
10. 10 Add the garlic and the lemon into the cavity of the chicken.
11. 11 Cover the chicken inside and out with butter. Work your way under the skin on the breast and add butter there too.
12. 12 To truss your chicken without using twine, tuck the wings behind the chicken’s back (as shown in the step photos below). This will keep the wings from burning.
13. 13 Then, with a knife, carefully poke a hole in one side of the skin hanging off the breast, covering the cavity opening. Carefully stick each drumstick into the hole.**
14. 14 Roast your chicken at 425°F for about 20 minutes per pound, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the breast reads 160°F and inserted into the thigh it reads 170°F. Remove the chicken from the pan and place it on a serving platter. Let it rest for at least ten minutes before carving it. Serve with roasted vegetables topped with any drippings and enjoy.