Perfect Roast Chicken

1 six-pound roasting chicken

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 medium onions, peeled and sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick

1 lemon

3 large cloves garlic, peeled

4 sprigs fresh thyme

Let chicken and 1 tablespoon butter stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°. Remove and discard the plastic pop-up timer from chicken if there is one. Remove the giblets and excess fat from the chicken cavity. Rinse chicken inside and out under cold running water. Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips under the body. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, and set aside.

In the center of a heavy-duty roasting pan, place onion slices in two rows, touching. Place the palm of your hand on top of lemon and, pressing down, roll lemon back and forth several times. This softens the lemon and allows the juice to flow more freely. Pierce entire surface of lemon with a fork. Using the side of a large knife, gently press on garlic cloves to open slightly. Insert garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and lemon into cavity. Place chicken in pan, on onion slices. Cut about 18 inches of kitchen twine, bring chicken legs forward, cross them, and tie together.

Spread the softened butter over entire surface of chicken, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place in the oven, and roast until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear when pierced, about 1 1/2 hours. When chicken seems done, insert an instant-read thermometer into the breast, then the thigh. The breast temperature should read 180° and the thigh 190°.

Remove chicken from oven, and transfer to a cutting board with a well. Let chicken stand 10 to 15 minutes so the juices settle. Carve and serve.

Top

Delicious Whole Chicken

3 lb whole chicken

½ c. chicken broth

1/3 c. soy sauce

1 TB olive oil

¼ c. honey

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp sesame oil

2 TB minced garlic

Place chicken in 5 quart slow cooker. Combine broth, soy sauce, olive oil, honey, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, sesame oil and garlic; pour over chicken. Cook on low 8 hours or 4 hours on high.

Top

Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken

Whole Chicken

Olive Oil Cooking Spray

Lawery's Seasoned Salt

Aluminum Foil

Clean chicken inside and out. Spray with the chicken olive oil spray. Sprinkle with Lawry's.

Spray inside of crockpot with cooking spray. (Do not put any water in the bottom of the crockpot). Roll some wads of aluminum foil into balls and put them in the bottom of the crockpot. The chicken is going to sit on these. Put chicken back side down in crockpot on top of aluminum balls.

Cook on high (will not come out the same on low) 4 - 6 hours.

If desired, you can wrap potatoes in aluminum foil, place on bottom of crockpot and sit chicken on potatoes.

Top