Roasted chicken is my oldest sons second favorite food, following chicken pot pie.  I don’t know that he actually likes chicken that much, but he loves gravy.  He feels that gravy should be a soup that is just enjoyed on its own, but being the meanest, I don’t allow that. I love making a chicken on a Monday, I can use leftovers on salads or for sandwiches all week long.  Every so often I will throw two birds in the oven and use one to make a chicken pot pie later in the week.

I like to start the process by bringing some butter to room temperature.  I then chop up some mixed herbs and smoosh (technical term) those into the butter along with salt and pepper.  At most markets you can grab a soup or poultry blend of fresh herbs. I like to do this instead of buying individual herbs that I would never be able use up during the week.  You can really use any herbs here, I am using rosemary, sage and thyme. One day I will start that herb garden I’ve been dreaming of, but until then the grocery store will have to do.

Now comes the fun part!!  I don’t know why I enjoy squishing the butter under the skin so much – it reminds me of when I was little and played with slime squishing it all through my fingers, or is that just me?  Using one or two fingers gently squish the butter in between the skin and the meat.

Trust me that you want to do this!  The butter and herbs will add a great flavor to your bird, and your skin will be nice and crispy.   You will want to rub the herb butter all over the outside of the bird as well.

I have tried so many methods to cooking chicken – upside down, low heat then high heat, high heat then low heat, taking it out halfway to do the tango – but with everything going on in my house I just can’t be expected to get to the oven in time to change temps or flip birds.  My number one rule is not opening the oven.  I put that thing in there at 350° and leave it be for a couple hours.  Most chickens come with pop up timers, just peek through your little oven window for that sucker to pop.

So now for the gravy.  I know gravy seems to intimidate people but its just about ten minutes of pressure, you can do it!  I think the biggest thing I had to get over in gravy making is that you will make a mess.  You can not make a gravy neatly, it will splatter a little.  You can wash your stove later, just concentrate on yummy gravy.  Your chicken drippings will be filled with buttery herby goodness so you already have a great start! All of these drippings will make a lot of gravy, so you can pour out most of the drippings and keep a cups worth of drippings in your pan.  DO NOT DO THIS IN A GLASS PAN! I say this from experience, they will crack. If you used anything but a metal roasting pan, then just take your drippings and put them into a pot. Now all you need to do is add some flour until it looks like gruel or paste or something else really unappetizing.  Cook for a minute or two while moving the paste around with your whisk.  This is just making it so your gravy won’t taste like flour.

Now if you have some white wine add some and cook that down for another few minutes.  Then slowly add chicken stock whisking until you have a nice gravy consistency.  It will take a few minutes to come together. Don’t get discouraged, just keep whisking! Add some salt and pepper and voila you have gravy.

Roasted Chicken with Gravy

Ingredients

• 1 Roasting Chicken 5-7 Lbs
• ½ Stick of Unsalted Butter at room temperature
• 1 Tbsp Chopped Mixed Herbs (I used Rosemary, Thyme, and Sage)
• 1 Cup All Purpose Flour
• ½ Cup of White Wine
• 2 Cups Chicken Stock
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix together butter and herbs with salt set aside.  Pat chicken dry with paper towel and liberally salt and pepper in cavity of  bird.  Gently separate skin from the breast of the chicken, using your fingers push butter into the area between the skin and the meat.  Use remaining butter and spread all over the outside of the chicken. Roast chicken for 1½ – 2½ Hours depending on the size of you bird and your oven.  Chicken is done when the internal temperature is 165° Try and open oven as little as possible while your chicken is roasting.  Remove the Chicken to a plate and tent with foil.

Pour out all but 1 Cup of drippings from your pan and place over a medium heat.  Add flour and whisk for two minutes.  Add white wine and continue whisking for another two minutes. Add chicken stock and whisk until lumps are gone.  You can pour through a sieve to remove any lumps if you wish. Salt and Pepper to taste