Maria Elena Mercado's Recipe

Moist & Savory Herb Roasted Chicken

Category: Recipes

Prep time: 1/2-hour
Cooking time: Approximately 2 hours
Difficulty level: 2
Serves 6 - 8


Ingredients:

Vegetable Mix:
8 Garlic cloves - Crushed with flat side of knife & slivered
1 Apple - Peeled, cored & cubed or 1 Celery stalk, cleaned & sliced thin
1 Onion - Sliced across, quartered & separated

Butter/Herb Mix:
(Modification: If you prefer to use fresh herbs, add 4-6 sprigs each to the Vegetable Mix above and pour only melted butter on the roaster.)
1/4 cup Butter
1/2 teaspoon dry Thyme
1/2 teaspoon dry Rosemary
1/8 teaspoon dry Sage

6-lb whole Roasting Chicken, giblets removed (can be seasoned & cooked w/chicken)
Juice from 1/2 Lemon
Adobo seasoning and/or Salt & Pepper
1/2 cup Water or Chicken Stock (Boullion OK)

Cooking Directions:

Prep vegetables (Garlic, Apple/Celery, Onion) and set aside in small bowl. Melt butter in a small saucepan over very low heat and add herbs (Thyme, Rosemary, Sage). Immediately remove from heat and set aside to cool off. Mixture will be fragrant.

Place oven rack at center position. Preheat oven to 350˚ F.

Rinse Chicken, place in a roasting pan, and pat dry with paper towels. Pour Lemon juice over Chicken. Generously season both the inside cavity & the outer skin of your roaster. Place vegetables (Garlic, Apple/Celery, Onion) inside the cavity (place smaller pieces into the neck cavity). Tuck wings under and tie legs together, if desired. Stir and evenly pour Butter/Herb mix over Chicken. Pour 1/2 cup Chicken Stock, Boullion, or Water into the bottom of the roasting pan.

Bake uncovered 2 hrs/20 minutes. Baste chicken and rotate pan after the first hour. If you opted to roast the giblets, they will be ready at this time; remove them from the pan - You can chop them up and add to your gravy. Add 1/4 cup water to pan drippings if liquid is depleted - (Never add water to a glass baking pan or it will break). Baste the roaster and rotate again after 1/2 hour.

Remove pan from oven after 2 hrs/20 minutes, baste, and cover tightly with aluminum foil, allowing the Chicken to "rest" on top of the stove 1/2 hour. The foil will seal in moist heat while the juices settle and the chicken reaches perfection. If using a cooking thermometer, the Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 180˚ F at the thigh and juices run clear.
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Tip: Use appropriate size foil pan to accommodate your roaster. Too large a pan will dry out too quickly and pan juices will burn.
Warning - Glass baking pans will break if water is added during roasting.

Note: Pop-up timers, included in the breast of many roasters, will automatically pop up when the chicken is DONE. Don't wait until it pops up while it's in the oven or your roaster will be dry. This method allows the roaster to continue cooking with steam (covered in foil) outside of the oven, so it won't dry out. Whether or not the pop-up timer pops up during the "resting" phase is of no consequence.

Please use safe handling practices when working with poultry, washing hands frequently with soap & water during preparation. Soak utensils in hot, sudsy water and add a little bleach to disinfect. Wipe off counters, sink and faucets with soapy, mild bleach mixture.