This is the perfect roast chicken! There is nothing complicated to the meal or preparation, but the flavor is amazing! This is my take on a famous recipe from Ina Garten. Hope you and your love enjoy as much as I do.
- 1 6-7 pound roasting chicken
- French sea salt or Kosher (I prefer Red Diamond brand)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 head garlic, cut in half
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted (Kerrygold Irish Butter)
- 1 onion, thickly sliced
- 4 medium carrots, diced in large squatty-sized pieces
- 3 stalks celery, diced in large pieces
- 1 cup chicken stock (homemade is best)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Preheat your oven to a toasty 425 degrees.
Rinse the chicken inside & out.(Don’t forget to remove those sneaky giblets!) Cut away any excess fat, & pat the chicken skin dry.
Place the chicken into a nice large roasting pan. Douse the inside of chicken with sea salt and pepper. Into the cavity, stuff the thyme, lemon halves, & all the pungent garlic. Liberally brush the entire outside of the chicken with the butter, & generously sprinkle with sea salt & pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen twin, place in roasting pan & tuck the wings under the chicken. Scatter onion slices, carrots and celery around the chicken.
Roast chicken for 1-1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove chicken to a plate, while you prepare the stupendously easy gravy.
Remove the fat from the bottom of the pan, reserving 2 tablespoons in a small bowl. Add your homemade chicken stock to the pan & cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, until reduced, while scraping the bottom of the pan.
Lastly, combine the 2 TBS of chicken fat with the flour in a bowl, & whisk into the pan. Boil rapidly, while whisking, for a few minutes to cook the flour. Strain the gravy, season it to taste & serve with your perfectly roasted bird & roasted veg!
This is the recipe to win over just about anyone! I love to make it when I want the house to feel & smell like home, or when I’m missing my mom & nothing else will do but her essence emanating from the kitchen!
