Herb Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. room temperature butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• Chicken pieces, bone in, skin on (about 3 lbs.)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and allow it to warm slightly as you prepare the butter herb mix (about 5 minutes or so).
2. In a small bowl, stir together the butter, minced garlic, basil, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
3. Place the chicken on a cutting board and pat it dry on both sides with paper towel. Smear the butter herb mixture over both sides of the chicken. Drying the meat will help the butter herb mixture stick, but if the meat is too cold it will not stick either.  Messy, do not be too fussy, it doesn’t have to look pretty.
4. Place the seasoned chicken pieces in a casserole dish or roasting pan that is deep enough to fully contain the chicken. Cover tightly with foil, or with the dish’s lid if there is one.  Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for 90 minutes, basting once halfway through.
5. After 90 minutes, remove the foil and baste again, and adjust the oven’s temperature to 425 degrees. Bake for a further 20 minutes at the higher temperature without the foil, or until the skin is deep golden brown and crispy. Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for 5 – 10 minutes.
6. Slice the meat from the bones or pull the meat from the bones.
7. The pan juices can be used for drizzling or turned into a gravy.
8. Serve with your favourite vegetables, rice or potatoes.

Serves – 4