This is my favorite version of chicken. Straight up and simple, humble and heart-warming. You can do all kinds of things to roast chicken -- stuff it with herbs, chorizo, garlic; rub honey and fennel seed all over it; brush it with maple mustard and chopped thyme. And sure, those are all great. But sometimes simple is better. I like to make this roast chicken every Monday when I’m entertaining at The Cave. It fills the space with that enchanting, almost intoxicating aroma that only roast chicken has. And the secret to this particular chicken dish? Butter.
Shopping list:
Putting it together:
Heat your oven to 450. Wash and pat your chicken as dry as possible. Sit your chicken on a meat board and truss it (instructions to follow). If you don’t have a meat board, or a board devoted exclusively to the preparation of raw meats, get one.
Rub the entire bird with softened butter, and season evenly with salt and pepper. Place it on a rack in a roasting pan breast side up, and put it in the hot oven.
Roast that chicken until it smells ready -- roughly 50 - 60 minutes. Take it out of the oven, and rest it on a platter for 15 minutes, loosely covered with foil.
Eat it.