Sage and Garlic Roast Chicken

Tea Girl's Note:

This is based on a couple of recipes I found online and some things I did to make it easier. It is a bit too greasy to roast veggies or potatoes in the same roasting pan, but you can make a nice side dish of veggies in another pan. It goes well with roasted zucchini.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 29 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 19 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 4 lbs whole chickens (can use smaller but the cooking time is different then)
• 1 1/2-2 teaspoons lemon pepper
• 22 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped (must be be fresh, don't substitute!)
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons chicken fat (chicken fat is better, but use olive oil if you don't have it, but not extra virgin) or 2 tablespoons olive oil (chicken fat is better, but use olive oil if you don't have it, but not extra virgin)
• salt and black pepper
• 8 sprigs parsley
• 2 small onions, quartered
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 lemon, quartered

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 240°C (475°F).
2. Add butter, sage, lemon pepper and garlic in a bowl and combine.
3. Using your fingers and a small, sharp knife, loosen skin of chicken from breasts and thighs.
4. Slip butter mixture between skin and meat, spreading it evenly.
5. Brush skin with chicken fat or oil and season cavity with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Stuff with lemon, parsley, and 1 quartered onion.
7. Tie legs together with kitchen twine.
8. Put the other quartered onion and leftover carrots onto center of roasting pan and place chicken on top of them.
9. Roast for 20 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 200°C (400°F).
10. Continue roasting until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh reads 80°C (170°F), about 1 hour. This will be about 20 minutes less with a pound less chicken.
11. Transfer chicken to where you plan to carve and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Reviews

[Mikekey]

Great recipe. Ended up with a very juicy and flavorful chicken. Cooking time was perfect. Will be making this again! Made for Fall 2012 PAC game.