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1.5 to 1.75 kg roasted whole chicken
2 tbsp butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 baking potatoes
Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Remove neck and giblets from body cavity of chicken. Pull off and discard any loose fat from chicken. Using a fork, stir butter with thyme, salt and pepper. Then stir in onion and garlic.
Gently force skin away from breasts by working your index finger between skin and flesh, starting at large cavity opening. Then do same for legs. Force about a quarter of butter mixture into each breast, between skin and meat, then push into legs. It will look lumpy. Force remaining butter mixture into each breast. Then, using your fingers on outside of skin, gently smooth butter mixture beneath so it covers most of each breast and leg.
Using kitchen twine or heavy white thread, tie ends of chicken legs together. Place chicken in a large roasting pan or bottom of a broiling pan. Roast, uncovered, in centre of 375F (190C) oven for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel potatoes, only if you wish, then cut lengthwise into 1-inch (2.5-cm) wedges. After chicken has cooked 30 minutes, scatter potatoes around chicken and stir to coat with pan juices. Continue roasting, basting chicken and stirring potatoes every 15 minutes, until both chicken and potatoes are golden brown, about 45 to 55 more minutes. Remove chicken to a cutting board. Let sit for 5 minutes before carving and serving with potatoes.
Calories 592, Protein 41.1g, Carbohydrates 37.8g, Fat 30.1g, Fibre 3.5g, Sodium 329mg.
Aromatic thyme, onion and garlic spread under the chicken skin permeates both the mild white and richer dark meat as it roasts to golden perfection. And why not roast potato fries around the bird at the same time?
Use 1 teaspoon (5 mL) dried rubbed sage in place of thyme in butter mixture.
Use 1 teaspoon (5 mL) dried tarragon in place of thyme in butter mixture and increase garlic to 2 minced garlic cloves.