I love roast chicken. It’s one of the few dishes that I don’t mind eating leftover the next day, so I’ll cook a chicken for myself even if I’m dining solo. This recipe is as perfect for a Sunday dinner as it is for packing into a picnic hamper.
SERVES 4
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Remove the bag of giblets from the cavity of the chicken and reserve for another use. Singe off any pinfeathers with a match. Rinse the bird inside and out and pat it dry.
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then remove from the heat and set aside. Cut 1 tablespoon of the butter into small pieces. Using your fingers, gently loosen the skin on the breasts and legs of the chicken and insert the small pieces of butter between the skin and flesh, distributing them as evenly as possible. Pat the skin back into place.
Add the lemon juice to the melted butter and mix well. Rub the onion with the butter mixture, coating it evenly, then roll the onion in 1 teaspoon of the poultry seasoning, again coating evenly. Place the onion in the chicken cavity. Rub the exterior of the chicken with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.
Put the chicken, breast-side up, in a roasting pan. Place in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 350°F and continue to roast for 1 hour, or until the juices run clear when the thigh joint is pierced with a fork.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.