Perfect Roast Chicken

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1Steps to Make It
2. 2Preheat oven and prepare chicken: Let chicken and 1 tablespoon butter stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°F. Remove and discard the plastic pop-up timer from chicken if there is one. Remove the giblets and excess fat from the chicken cavity. Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips under the body. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, and set aside.
3. 3Layer onions in roasting pan: In the center of a heavy-duty roasting pan, place onion slices in two rows, touching.
4. 4Prep lemon: Place the palm of your hand on top of lemon and, pressing down, roll lemon back and forth several times. Pierce entire surface of lemon with a fork.
5. 5Crush garlic: Using the side of a large knife, gently press on garlic cloves to open slightly.
6. 6Add garlic, thyme, and lemon to chicken: Insert garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and lemon into cavity.
7. 7Place chicken in pan and tie legs: Place chicken in pan, on onion slices. Cut about 18 inches of kitchen twine, bring chicken legs forward, cross them, and tie together.
8. 8Rub chicken with butter and roast: Spread the softened butter over entire surface of chicken, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place in the oven, and roast until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear when pierced, about 1 1/2 hours.
9. 9Remove chicken and let rest: Remove chicken from oven, and transfer to a cutting board with a well. Let chicken stand 10 to 15 minutes so the juices settle.
10. 10Make Gravy
11. 11Collect pan drippings: Meanwhile, pour the pan drippings into a shallow bowl or fat separator, and leave onions in the pan. Leave any brown baked-on bits in the bottom of the roasting pan, and remove and discard any blackened bits. Using a large spoon or fat separator, skim off and discard as much fat as possible.
12. 12Pour drippings from cutting board into roasting pan: Pour the remaining drippings and the juices that have collected under the resting chicken back into the roasting pan.
13. 13Cook over medium-high heat: Place pan on the stove over medium-high heat to cook, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock, raise heat to high, and, using a wooden spoon, stir up and combine the brown bits with the stock until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
14. 14Strain gravy: Strain the gravy into a small bowl, pressing on onions to extract any liquid.
15. 15Discard onions and add butter: Discard onions, and stir in the remaining tablespoon of cold butter until melted and incorporated.
16. 16Carve Chicken and Serve
17. 17Untie the legs, and remove and discard garlic, thyme, and lemon. Carve the chicken and serve the gravy on the side.