Roast Chicken with Herbed Butter and Roast Root Vegetables

This roast chicken is the simplest method I've found to quickly roast a tasty bird with a minimum of time and fuss.

The finished product, resting on the carving board.

1 3-4 lb whole chicken (pastured provides the tastiest skin and fat)
4 tablespoons butter
4 sprigs of rosemary
4 sprigs of thyme
3 medium carrots chopped coarsely
1 stalk of celery chopped coarsely
1/2 medium red onion chopped coarsely

Preheat the oven to 425.

Melt butter in a small sauce pan.  De-stem the herbs and chop the leaves.  Add to the butter and stir.  Remove butter from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Using a scissors, remove the back from the chicken.  ( I save the backs in the freezer until I have enough to make stock.)  Use your hands to loosen the skin of the bird gently away from the breast.  Pour/spoon the herb butter directly onto the breast, underneath the skin and rub to cover the breasts completely.  Pat the skin back over the breasts and use the remaining butter to rub into the skin over the surface of the bird.

Place your chopped veggies into a thick walled 10 inch (3 quart) saute pan.  Place the butterflied bird over the veggies.  Press the bird a bit to get it flat in the pan.  Put into the 425 oven for 20-25 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and roast another 30 minutes or until the breasts reach an internal temp of 160.  Remove from the oven and let the bird rest at least 20 minutes prior to carving.

Roasted Root Vegetables

While the bird is in the oven, you can make these.  You'll need:

2 medium beets
2 medium turnips
1 large fennel bulb
2 large sweet potatoes

3 tablespoons of olive oil
3 sprigs rosemary
salt

Chop all your veggies into 2 inch long pieces that are 1/2" thick.  All pieces should be around the same size.  Toss in a bowl with the oil, salt and rosemary leaves.

Spread onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Turn the veggies every 15 minutes and watch closely at the end to make sure they don't overbrown.