Oven
Roast Chicken with Fresh Thyme and Honey Butter
By FBWorld Team
Try
something healthy and sweet with your friends and family
when you gather - tasty recipes sweetened with honey.
Why honey? Honey is not only a delicious way to sweeten
dishes while avoiding refined sugars, it contains natural
antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
Oven
Roast Chicken with Fresh Thyme and Honey Butter
Ingredients:
One Small Chicken 2.5-3.5 lbs
Fresh Thyme and Honey Butter:
4 oz soft (room temperature) Butter
1.5 tbls. Honey
2 -3 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme, (picked from stem and chopped)
1 tbls. Fresh Parsley, (chopped)
1 tspn. Smoked Paprika (optional)
Zest of 1 Lemon (optional)
2 tspn. Salt
1 tspn. Cracked Pepper
Procedures:
1. Rinse the chicken and pat dry, inside
and out, with paper towels. Remove any loose fat and be
sure inner cavity is completely dry.
2.
For the butter mix all of the ingredients in a small mixing
bowl or food processor. The butter should be soft, not
melted. Also, avoid any bits of stem from the thyme, use
only the leaves. Set aside once complete.
3.
With the cavity of the chicken facing you slide a finger
under the skin. Starting with the breasts, gently create
a pocket under the skin, taking care not to tear the skin.
Next, separate the skin from the thighs with the tip of
your finger.
4.
With the cavity still facing you, use your fingers to
spread the thyme honey butter under the skin in the pocket
you have just created. Push the butter into the thighs
and liberally across the breast; be gentle throughout
this process.
5.
Season the outside of the chicken and the inner cavity
with salt and pepper. Tuck the wing tips behind themselves.
Cover loosely with a paper towel and refrigerate.
To
Roast the Chicken:
1. Preheat the oven to 475°
2.
In a shallow roasting pan, place the chicken breast side
up in the center of the oven. After about 30 minutes,
baste the chicken with any pan dripping that have accumulated
in the bottom of the roasting pan and turn the chicken
over. Reduce the temperature to 450°. Roast for another
10 -20 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken,
then turn the bird over again and roast another 5-10 minutes.
Overall cooking time should be 45-60 minutes. The skin
should be crispy, golden brown and any juices running
from the bird should be clear.
3.
Carefully remove the chicken from the oven and allow it
to rest 5 minutes. Lift the chicken from the pan and place
on the center of a plate pour any pan dripping back over
the chicken.
4.
Serve while hot with oven roast potatoes and green beans
for a delicious meal.
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