Whole Roasted Garlic Lemon Chicken

A couple of rainy days have had us indoors with the fireplace on and the oven cranking out holiday treats.  Tonight we opted for one of our favorite whole roasted chickens and ate like Kings!

Aromatic garlic combined with the roasting chicken and a sprinkle of Herbs de Provence filled the house with with home cooked goodness.  Even my burrito eating teenager was drawn downstairs asking if dinner would be ready soon.

While the aroma of garlic is strong, the chicken is delicately flavored providing perfectly seasoned leftovers.  A few squeezes of lemon brings an added brightness to this tender and juicy bird.  We thank him for bringing a bit of protein relief to our holiday sugar overload!

Whole Roasted Garlic Lemon Chicken

2 Tbs garlic, finely chopped

2 Tbs unsalted butter, very soft

2 Tbs lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1 tsp Herbs de Provence

1 whole chicken

salt and pepper

Herbs de Provence

1 lemon, quartered

Preheat the oven to 375º.  Remove chicken from refrigerator and rinse, let rest as you are preparing garlic, butter and lemon.

Stir the finely chopped garlic into the very soft butter, mix well.  Add the lemon juice, coarse salt and Herbs, stir to combine.  Rub the butter under the breast skin as far as possible and then all over the chicken.  Add the lemon quarters to the cavity and sprinkle outside of bird with salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle with a few dashed of additional Herbs de Provence if desired.  Place on a rack or in a dutch oven coated with cooking spray.

Roast the chicken until a meat thermometer reads 160º when the breast temp is checked (about 90 minutes depending on the size of your chicken).  Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.  Carve and serve!