Lemon & Butter Herb Roasted Chicken

freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp spanish smoked paprika

1 lemon zest
1½  lemon juice

1 medium whi

Ingredients:

4lbs free range whole chicken

175g softened butter

20g chopped rosemary, parsley, thyme, tarragon and oregano

2 garlic cloves, peel and used garlic press

1 tsp te onion

salt

roasted herb potatoes and carrots for side dish

Preparation: 

1. For herb and butter seasoning, in a mixing bowl, mix together butter, herbs, paprika, garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper with your hand or spoon. Set aside!

2.  Preheat oven to 220°C; Rinse chicken pat dry with paper towels, remove any giblets and neck from inside chicken. Make sure the chicken is clean and dry. Using a long spoon or with your fingers slide under the skin starting from the neck side, and working your way to the legs and near to the wings side. Gently work the skin away from the meat and create as a pocket to place the seasoning in. Sprinkle body cavity with salt and pepper.

3. Now take some herb butter mixture to the pocket and work it in between the skin and the meat.

Use your hands on top of the skin and gently spread the butter mixture throughout legs, breast and near the wing. Do this on both sides of the breast. Leave around 1/3 or 1/4 of the herb butter mixture for stuffing .

4. Place the remaining herb butter mixture, 5 garlic cloves, onion and ½ lemon juice inside the body cavity. Tie drumsticks and wings together using kitchen twine. So that it holds together and butter seasoning  while cooking. Then season generously with salt and pepper, another of squeeze of 1 lemon juice outside the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for overnight until ready to cook. 

5. Place the chicken on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, cover with foil. Tuck the foil in every place to perfectly cover the baking dish to prevent the top from burning to quickly so the chicken will cook evenly inside-out. Roast in the preheated oven for about 1 hour.

6. After 1 hour of roasting remove the foil, reduce the temperature to 200°C. Basting with pan juices and bake for a further 30 minutes or more until the chicken is deep and golden so that you get that lovely crust.

7. Remove chicken from oven. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes before carving and this will ensure perfect moist and juiciness.

8. Transfer the chicken to a chopping board or large serving plate.

9. Cut and slice the chicken and serve with roasted herb potatoes and carrots or any side dishes and gravy sauce if you want. I made lemon onion gravy sauce but my family they didn't use any sauce. The meat already juicy and very flavorful and roasted herb potatoes and carrots goes really well with chicken.