Savory Roast Chicken

I had quite possibly one of the most delicious roast chicken dinners ever on the weekend. So good in fact that I wanted to share this recipe. I almost wanted to quit when I opened up the whole chicken and found a head and feet inside! I guess asians find it a delicacy. With that lovely picture in your mind, the rest turned out much better though.

Yum Factor: 10/10

Difficulty Factor: 7/10 (a bit of prep but not too bad)

Here's the recipe:

1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs

1 lemon, halved

1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted

1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced

4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks

1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges

Olive oil METHOD 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 2. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top. 3. Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminium foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables. Note: I also made a delicious gravy from the leftovers here Changes: I couldn't find fennel so used celery as a substitute. I also used some lemon thyme but I did find it a bit too lemony.