One Small Bird Serves Two | Roast Chicken

 Here's one of those examples of old ways becoming new again.  For Roast Chicken, the quality of the bird has everything to do with the goodness of the taste.  And, if you want to be particular about the chicken you eat- how it was fed, where it was raised, how it was raised and whether it was exposed to hormones or antibiotics, a DIY roast chicken is a simple solution.  The chicken can be used twice -  first, to roast and then to make stock.  It’s the stock where one really can tell a difference in the higher quality of chicken; the stock is tastier and is gelatinous when refrigerated.  

It’s all simple steps. It’s a matter of not rushing and taking the time to take them. Allow two hours roasting time.

roast chicken

2 Tbsp butter

1 large onion, peeled and sliced thin

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 small chicken (4 lbs. about) without giblets

Salt (Celtic Sea Salt preferable)

Poultry seasoning ( or a dried herb of choice such as thyme)

Preheat oven to 375°F.   Melt the butter in a little pan.  Strew the onion slices and garlic  on the bottom of a roasting pan or a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.  Rinse the chicken and dry it well. Put a rack on the baking sheet over the onions and garlic and set the chicken on a rack Brush it with half the melted butter and sprinkle generously with salt and seasoning.  The chicken will roast for two hours total. Roast for one hour.  Remove from the oven, turn the chicken over and brush with the remaining butter.  Sprinkle again with salt and dried herbs.  Roast one hour longer.  Remove from the oven  and let stand 5 - 10 minutes before slicing.  Save the carcass for stock.