Happy New Year and A Roasted Chicken

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!

In tagalog: Manigong Bagong Taon!
 

I'll keep this one short and sweet as I know we're all a bit bleary eyed from all the New Year's celebrations. Welcome to 2010!!! Here's to a prosperous new you to you all with any new beginnings and many happy moments. Also, more fun food adventures to be had by us all. So today let's eat up and be merry.

I had duck for Thanksgiving and now I've moved on to roasting whole chicken for Christmas. I made a simple herb butter again for this with an addition of the paprika. Eventually I'm going to end up roasting every kind of meat there is. I would barbecue, but I don't have an outdoor grill. Ol' Georgie just wouldn't cut it.I did that trick where you stuff some of the butter under the skin. Boy, did that help with the roasting. I had myself a nice tender juicy chicken with a slightly crisp skin.

Roast Chicken

1 whole chicken

seasoning:
1 small sweet onion - halved or quartered
1/4 c unsalted butter - room temp
1 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary - chopped
1 Tbsp fresh thyme - chopped
1 Tbsp Emeril's Chicken Rub - optional
2 Tbsp paprika - plus extra if needed
salt
pepper


Mix together the butter, chopped thyme, chopped rosemary, and paprika. Set aside

Clean out the chicken of all the gibblets and wash thoroughly. Pat the bird dry with some paper towel. Remove some of the excess fat around the neck and butt area.

Season all sides -- including the inside-- of the bird with salt and pepper. Then rub the chicken with the butter. Reserve 1 teaspoon to stuff inside. Put a couple teaspoons under the skin of the breast as well. Cut the thin connective tissue holding the skin and the meat together to access.

Stuff the bird with the onion and the fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs as well as  the reserved herb butter. Tie the legs together and tuck the butt underneath. and tie the wings against the body as well. Use butcher twine. Sprinkle the optional Emeril's chicken rub over as well as add more paprika.

Place the bird on a roasting pan. Let the bird sit for at least half an hour. During this time preheat your oven to 400˚F. Roast for

Occasionally baste it with its own juices to get the skin nice and crisp.