roast chicken

i bought a 7lb chicken & decided to make dinner for the IL's- i paired it with mashed potatoes & steamed broccoli/cauliflower- yum!

Chicken:

1 6-7lb chicken

1 lemon

1 bunch thyme

1 bunch sage

6-8 slices smoked bacon

1 stick softened butter

1 head garlic

salt/pepper/extra garlic- seasonings to taste

3/4 cup dry vermouth

pre-heat oven to 450

clean the chicken with cold water & pat dry (remove the inside crap too- gross)

generously salt & pepper the chicken (inside & out)

chop about 1/4- 1/2 the bunches of thyme & sage- mix this (along with some garlic & other seasonings) with the butter to make an herbed butter

usuing your hands, spread the herbed butter all over the chicken- make sure to get this under the skin as well as on it.

cut the lemon in half & stuff it into the chicken along with the peeled garlic head- then shove the rest of the thyme & sage bunch inside as well. (i left out a few pieces & stuck them on the chicken)

pop the chicken into a roasting pan

pour about 1/2 the vermouth into the pan & then inject the chicken all over with the rest (i got my injector at WilliamsSonoma)

lastly- place the bacon over the top of the chicken.

place the chicken (uncovered) in the oven for about 20 min. turn the oven down to 350 & cover the chicken- roast the chicken for an addtl 1 1/2

halfway through, remove the bacon from the top & place around the chicken

about 30 min before the chicken is done- crank the oven back up to 450 and uncover the chicken- this will crisp up the skin- the chicken is done when the internal temp = 170.

let the chicken sit 10-15 min before cutting into it- enjoy!
Enjoy & God Bless!