There might not be a simpler, tastier, or more economical way to prepare chicken than to roast the bird whole. Here, is an easy recipe that involves roasting new potatoes and carrots in the same pan. Fresh lemon and butter, lend moisture and add flavour. After a little over an hour in a 425-degree oven, and another 10 minutes to let your cooked chicken rest, this all — in — one family — friendly meal is ready to serve. When it comes to an easy Christmas meal, with meat for those who love either white or dark meat, it doesn’t get better than this.
Ingredients:
n2 tablespoons unsalted butter
n1 ½ pounds small new potatoes (about 20)
n1 pound medium carrots (about 6)
n2 tablespoons olive oil
nKosher salt and black pepper
n1 lemon
nKitchen twine and kitchen shears
Direction:
1. Place the butter on a plate and set it aside to soften.
2. Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and begin preparing the vegetables. Scrub the potatoes. Peel the carrots, halve them lengthwise, and cut them crosswise into 2-inch pieces.
3. Place the vegetables in a large roasting pan or baking dish and toss with the olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
4. Remove the neck and the bag of giblets from inside the cavity of the chicken and discard them. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Prick the lemon several times with a sharp paring knife and place it in the chicken cavity with the thyme. Rub the outside of the chicken with the softened butter and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Place on top of the vegetables in the roasting pan.
5. Put the chicken in the oven and roast until the vegetables are tender, the chicken is golden brown, and the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a fork, 65 to 75 minutes. (If you use an instant-read thermometer, it should register 165 degrees Fahrenheit when inserted in the thickest part of the thigh.) Let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes before carving.
6. Using kitchen shears, cut the chicken into pieces.
