When I first decided to grow our own meat chicken, one hurdle that I never new I would need to jump over was the change of learning to cooking with a whole chicken. In that first year to eat one whole chicken a month was a triumph. Because this was the only recipe I had that used a whole chicken. But this recipe is the best recipe to learn when starting your own venture of using a whole chicken in your menu. Why? Because it is so versatile. You can use different seasoning to give you a whole new taste. Also the leftovers can be turned into many other meals.

This recipe for roast chicken will deliver a meal the whole family will love. I have found the secret to the perfect crispy skin and juicy meat. Serves 5 with possibility for leftovers to make this a great weekend meal into multiple quick weeknight meals.

How to Roast A Chicken

1 5# thawed whole chicken

1 stick of butter, softened

1 tsp parsley

½ tsp sage

½ tsp rosemary

3 whole carrots with tops trimmed off

2 stalks of celery

1 lemon

Preheat your oven to 375

Remove the whole chicken from its wrapping and rinse. Be sure to remove the neck and giblets pouch if you purchased your chicken from the grocery store and wash out the cavity of chicken. Place your whole chicken in a roasting pan or aluminum lined baking dish breast up. And pat the skin dry with a paper towel.

Mix the butter and herbs together to make a butter rub. Gently push your finger tips under the skin making a cavity. You want to release the skin from the top of the breast all the way to the legs. Now apply half of the butter mixture in this cavity you have created under the skin. Now take half of the what's left of the butter mixture and rub it all over the outside of the chicken.

Once done, flip your chicken so that it is breast down in your roasting pan.

Next you need to prepare the base that you will be applying to your chicken as it cooks. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the remaining butter mixture and set aside. Now place the carrots, celery, and cut up lemon into the cavity of the chicken.

Place the roasting pan with the chicken into the oven and bake for about 45 minutes. At that 45 minute mark you want to melt your butter mix with lemon so you have a liquid to baste the chicken with. Remove the chicken and pan from the oven and with thongs and a large fork, flip the chicken so it is now breast up in the roasting pan. Brush the baste over chicken and put the pan and chicken back in the oven for about 45 minutes or until the center of the breast reads 165 degrees with a meat thermometer. During this last 45 minutes baste the chicken about every 15 minutes.

Allow the chicken to rest for at least 15 minute before you cut the chicken apart. This will give it time to cool and allow the juices to remain in the meat.

The purpose of the flip is to cut cooking time as well as not dry out the breast while you wait for the legs and back to cook.