For Easter Sunday, I made a roast chicken dinner complete with scalloped potatoes, roasted broccoli with lemon, and homemade cornbread. It was just my sweet boyfriend and I at home, maintaining social distancing from our family and friends. It was perfect with just the two of us and our delicious hearty meal. When I think of a warm Sunday dinner, I often think of a roasted meat, green vegetable, potato dish, and bread… a staple meal in the South and perhaps all over the country. We had the honor of cooking this roast chicken for the very first time using Logan’s Grandmother Evelyn’s vintage navy blue speckled roasting dish. She recently passed away, and out of all the things he wanted most… it was that roasting pan. So many meals made with that pan and lots of family memories surrounding it. I was so excited to used such a “lucky dish”, seasoned from many years of kitchen love.
This roast chicken recipe is an adaptation from my turkey recipe, using an herb butter to season it under the skin and on top of the skin, with fresh herbs also being key. It’s simple, moist, and full of savory flavors. This can be made time and time again for any occasion, casual or formal, and everyone will be left feeling full and satisfied.
Herbed Butter
- 1 stick salted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Chicken
- One whole chicken, without giblets 4-5#
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, whip your softened butter with the fresh rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika. Set aside.
- Rinse your whole chicken under cold running water. Dry your chicken with a clean dish cloth or paper towels.
- Using your fingers, run them underneath the skin, in between the skin and the muscle of the chicken until the skin has separated. Once skin has separated from muscle on the chicken (breasts, thighs, and legs), begin to stuff the underside of the skin with your herbed butter mixture. Use your fingers on the outside of the skin to massage the herbed butter underneath to spread.
- Use remaining herbed butter on top of the chicken, no need to be precise, but centered so that when it melts it will melt op top of the breasts.
- Stuff the inside cavity of the chicken with the one of the onion quarters.
- Use the remaining parts of the onion as a base for the whole chicken to rest on in the roasting pan.
- Assure chicken is breast side up, and place uncovered in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until internal temperature is 165 degrees.
- Remove from oven, and baste with melted butter and drippings.
- Let rest, covered, for 30 minutes before carving and serving.
Gravy
- 2 tablespoons fat from pan drippings
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth or milk
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Gravy From Drippings
- Heat fat over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until any solid bits in the drippings are well-browned. Add flour and whisk until lightly golden, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Slowly pour in the broth or milk, whisking out any lumps as they form.
- Whisk continuously until thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add butter. add salt and pepper to taste.
- Strain gravy through fine-mesh strainer if desired. Serve and enjoy!
The Texas Table 