Roasted Chicken

Tonight we had roasted chicken for dinner. It's a favorite of ours. This preparation makes a moist, juicy bird, with crsipy skin every time. Best of all if you want to make gravy, the pan juices are flavored with herb, garlic, lemon and onion. Here's the recipe:

1 5 lb whole chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch of thyme, rosemary, tarragon, or herb of your choice (my fav is thyme)
1 Meyer lemon, halved (or any lemon you have on hand)
1 head of garlic, cut in half crosswise
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
Butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Remove giblets; rinse chicken, remove excess fat, and pat the chicken dry. Place in a roasting pan.
Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of the lemon and garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wings under the body of the chicken. Place the onion slices around the chicken.
Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours. When removed from oven, cover with foil for 10 to 15 minutes.


Want to make gravy? Remove all the fat from the bottom of the pan, reserving 2 tablespoons in a small cup. Add 1 cup of chicken stock to the pan and cook on high heat for about 5 minutes, until reduced, scraping the bottom of the pan. Combine 2 tablespoons of chicken fat with 2 tablespoons flour and add to the pan. Boil for a few minutes to cook the flour. Strain the gravy into a small sacuepan and season it to taste. Keep warm while you carve the chicken. Serve the roasted onions with the chicken.