Herb Butter Roast Chicken

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the lower-middle position.
   425°F
2. Pat the chicken dry all over with paper towels, including inside the cavity.
3. Mash the softened butter, garlic, thyme, rosemary and lemon zest together in a small bowl with a fork.
4. Slide your fingers between the skin and the breast meat to loosen the skin, starting at the cavity end. Work gently so the skin doesn't tear.
5. Push about two thirds of the herb butter under the skin and smooth it over the breasts and thighs from the outside. Rub the rest over the outside of the bird.
6. Season (how to season to taste)

   Season to taste Add salt (and pepper or acid) bit by bit, tasting as you go, until the food tastes fully of itself. 1. Season meat and vegetables before cooking, holding the salt high so it falls evenly.2. Taste the dish near the end with a clean spoon.3. If it tastes flat, add a pinch of salt, stir and taste again.4. If it tastes heavy or dull, a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar brightens it.5. Stop when another pinch wouldn't make it better. Done when: The flavors are clear and bright, not flat and not salty. Safety: Don't taste dishes that hold raw meat, poultry or eggs; season them by the recipe's amounts and adjust after cooking.How to season to taste: mistakes to avoid

   the chicken all over with the salt and pepper. Tuck the lemon halves into the cavity.
7. Tie the drumstick ends together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips behind the back.
8. Lay the onion rounds in the middle of a roasting pan or large skillet and set the chicken on top, breast side up.
9. Roast (how to roast)

   Roast Cook food uncovered in a hot oven so the outside browns while the inside cooks through. 1. Heat the oven fully before the food goes in, usually 400 to 450°F for vegetables.2. Toss vegetables with oil and salt; dry and season meat.3. Spread everything out on a sheet pan or in a roasting pan with room around each piece.4. Roast, turning vegetables once halfway, until browned at the edges.5. For meat, check the center with a thermometer. Done when: Vegetables are browned at the edges and tender in the middle; meat reaches its safe temperature. Safety: Use dry oven mitts (wet ones pass heat straight through) and tilt hot pans away from you to avoid the fat and steam.How to roast meat and vegetables: mistakes to avoid

   until the skin is deep golden and a thermometer reads 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the thigh (not touching bone) and the breast. Start checking at 60 minutes.
   165°F⏱ Roast: 1 hr 15 min
10. Move the chicken to a cutting board and let it

    rest (how to rest)

    Rest Leave cooked meat, baked goods or dough alone for a while before you cut, slice or shape it. 1. Move meat to a board or plate as soon as it is done (a few degrees shy of target for big roasts; it keeps rising).2. Tent it loosely with foil if the kitchen is cool.3. Rest steaks and chops 5 minutes, roasts 15 to 20, a turkey 30.4. For dough, cover it so it doesn't dry out while it relaxes. Done when: Meat juices stay in when you slice; dough rolls out without springing back. Safety: Rest at room temperature for under an hour, then refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking.How to rest meat and dough: mistakes to avoid

    before carving so the juices settle.
    ⏱ Rest: 15 min
11. Carve (how to carve)

    Carve Cut a cooked roast or bird into neat slices to serve. 1. Let the roast rest first so the juices settle.2. Set it on a board with a groove for juices, and hold it with a carving fork.3. For a bird, take off the legs and wings at the joints, then cut each breast off in one piece.4. Slice across the grain into even slices with long strokes of a long, sharp knife. Done when: The slices are even and hold their juices on the board instead of flooding it. Safety: Keep the fingertips of your guiding hand curled under, knuckles toward the blade, and set the board on a damp towel so it can't slide. Keep the fork hand behind the knife's path.How to carve a roast or a turkey: mistakes to avoid

    the legs and thighs off first, then

    slice (how to slice)

    Slice Cut food into flat pieces of the same thickness. 1. Give round food a flat side to sit on.2. Hold it with your fingertips curled under.3. Cut with long strokes, pushing the knife forward and down rather than straight down.4. Move your guiding hand back the same distance each time so every slice matches. Done when: The slices are even. For meat, slicing across the grain (across the lines of muscle) gives the tenderest bite. Safety: Keep the fingertips of your guiding hand curled under, knuckles toward the blade, and set the board on a damp towel so it can't slide. Slice hot roasts on a board with a groove for the juices.How to slice evenly: mistakes to avoid

    the breast meat. Spoon the pan juices over the top to serve.

Tap an underlined word for how to do it, or see all techniques.

Tips

• Salt the chicken a day ahead and leave it uncovered in the fridge for even crisper skin. Skip the salt in step 6 if you do.
• If the skin browns too fast before the meat is done, lay a loose sheet of foil over the breast.
• Use a separate cutting board for raw poultry, and wash hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water after handling it. Don't rinse raw chicken; it only spreads germs around the sink.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container within 2 hours, up to 3 days. Reheat until hot all the way through (165°F). Pull the leftover meat off the bones for soups, salads and sandwiches.

How long leftovers keep, and freezing and reheating: leftovers and storage.