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Oven roasted whole chicken

  • 4 T Unsalted Butter, room temperature
  • 1 t Medium-Grain Salt
  • 1 t Black Peppercorn, ground
  • Fresh Thyme Sprigs, destemmed
  • Fresh Rosemary Sprigs, destemmed
  • 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • 1 Lemon, zested and halved
  • 2000 g Whole Chicken
  • For Additional Seasoning
    • Medium-Grain Salt
    • Black Peppercorn, ground
    • Olive Oil
  1. Preheat oven to 200ºC (400ºF).
  2. Mix butter, salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary leaves, garlic, and lemon zest into compound butter.
  3. Rub breasts. Working from the back of the chicken, gently create space between the skin and the breast meat on either side --- be careful not separate skin from the sternum. Apply butter liberally to both breasts under the skin.
  4. Fill cavity. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste in the cavity. Add leftover lemon halves and sprigs.
  5. Dress chicken. Tuck wing tips behind the shoulders. Tie chicken legs together with twine.
  6. Season all sides of the chicken with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
  7. Bake 45 minutes at 200ºC.
  8. Baste.
  9. Bake 15 minutes at 200ºC until it reaches an internal temperature of 74ºC (165ºF) at thickest part of thigh.

  1. Mitzewich, John. "Getting Under the Skin for Great Big, Beautiful, Buttery Breasts!" Food Wishes. 28 November 2007. ↩