Moist, Flavorful, and Simple Roast Chicken

When it comes to the roast chicken, simplicity is best. I make mine with a little butter, garlic, salt, pepper and rosemary. I stuff a lemon, onion and some garlic cloves into the cavity and voilà  a couple of hours later, you have a delicious, moist and fragrant dinner.

Okay, maybe it's not that simple, but it's pretty darn close. My first word of advice, buy a bird with a popper. There's nothing worse than not knowing if it's cooked through and jabbing that poor little guy with a thermometer twenty times just to find out that it's still not done. 

First, I cut up some onion, lemon and rosemary to put in the cavity. This time around I also put three whole garlic cloves in there as well. 

Stuff the cavity of the chicken. Yes, I know, it's gross and slimy, but you just have to get past that and think about the deliciousness to come.

Now butter that baby up, literally. Take about two tablespoons of butter (or a little more) and rub it all over that beautiful bird. It helps to talk dirty to it while you do this. Oh yeaaaa, you fowl thing you... you like it when I massage that butter all over your breasts, don't you?

I don't know if it really makes a difference, but I like to put some butter under the skin as well.

After the butter bit, liberally salt and pepper the chicken and sprinkle some minced garlic and rosemary on, around, and in it. (I use fresh garlic and rosemary, but I suppose you could do powdered and dried as well.)

I put about two cups of water into the bottom of my pan because I believe that helps the chicken stay moist. I have no idea if this is true or not, but that's just how I roll. 

Now, pop it in the oven. I start with my oven at 400 degrees for about a half hour, and then reduce the temperature to 375 and wait. The fragrant aroma of butter, rosemary and garlic will start to fill up your kitchen, slowly torturing you.

Depending on the size of your chicken it could take up to three hours, but I usually pick a smallish chicken so mine usually only take about 90 minutes. If you notice the skin begings to get too brown, you can cover the top with tin foil to prevent over-browning.

Then dig in, and fight with your spouse over the drumsticks...

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