Herb Roast Chicken

This is my first ever whole chicken. There was a time in my life in which I couldn't even eat a piece of meat that still had a bone in it. It totally grossed me out to think about where meat actually came from. When I got married and I needed to learn how to cook, even raw meat grossed me out. While handling a raw chicken with it's skin and wings and all wasn't the most pleasant experience, I was proud that I actually made one. Plus, it tasted really good and was able it stretch it into two separate meals. Kaylee walked in the kitchen and said, "Eeeewwwww!!! That's what a chicken looks like before we eat it? I have to leave because that is so disgusting!" The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, eh? It might be awhile before she makes one of her own, and when she is ready, I will be able to show her how. :)

Herb Roast Chicken

Start with the best-quality chicken you can find. We chose a fresh organic bird.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half or 1 thigh and 1 drumstick, and 1 tablespoon drippings)

Ingredients
1 (4 1/2-pound) whole roasting chicken
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 lemon, halved
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
Cooking spray
3/4 cup water


Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Remove giblets and neck from chicken cavity; discard. Trim excess fat from chicken. Loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper inside body cavity. Squeeze lemon juice into body cavity; place lemon halves in body cavity. Combine softened butter, minced shallots, rosemary, and thyme, stirring with a fork until well blended. Combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl; rub salt mixture evenly under skin over breast and drumstick meat. Rub butter mixture evenly under skin over breast and drumstick meat. Tie ends of legs together with twine. Lift wing tips up and over back, and tuck under chicken.
3. Place chicken, breast side up, on a rack coated with cooking spray; place rack in a roasting pan. Pour 3/4 cup water into roasting pan. Bake chicken at 450° for 1 hour or until a thermometer inserted in meaty part of thigh registers 160°. Remove chicken from pan; let stand, breast side down, 15 minutes. Remove skin; discard.
4. Place a large zip-top plastic bag inside a 4-cup glass measure. Pour drippings through a sieve into bag; discard solids. Let drippings stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into a medium bowl, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Carve chicken; serve with drippings.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 222
Fat: 11.4g (sat 5.2g,mono 3.5g,poly 1.5g)
Protein: 26.6g
Carbohydrate: 2.3g
Fiber: 0.2g
Cholesterol: 97mg
Iron: 1.3mg
Sodium: 548mg
Calcium: 23mg

Cooking Light, JUNE 2009