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Julia Child's Favorite Roast Chicken

Enjoy something delicious and satisfying with this easy-to-make recipe.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 10 mins
Total Time
1 hr 25 mins
Servings: 1 whole chicken
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 2½ tbsp unsalted butter divided
  • ⅓ cup carrots finely diced
  • ⅓ cup onion finely diced
  • ⅓ cup celery finely diced
  • 2 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1 to 4 lb whole chicken
  • sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • A handful of fresh parsley stems
  • A handful of celery leaves
  • 6 lemon slices, ⅛-inch-thick
  • ½ cup onion sliced
  • ½ cup carrots sliced
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • ½ cup of water to help veggies from burning if needed
  • ¾ cup chicken broth

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet. Add the diced carrots, onion, and celery, cook over medium heat until softened, and add the thyme sprigs.
  3. Wash the chicken inside and out, then pat dry. Pull the neck skin up over the breast and secure it to the back with a toothpick. Salt and pepper the cavity and spoon in the cooked vegetables, a handful of parsley stems, celery leaves, and lemon slices. Massage the chicken all over with 1 tablespoon of butter.
  4. Place a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Salt the entire chicken evenly and set it breast side up on a rack in the pan.
  5. Place the chicken into the oven and roast for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, as follows:
  6. * At 15 minutes: Brush the chicken with the remaining ½ tablespoon of butter. Scatter the sliced onion and carrot all around. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
  7. * At 45 minutes: Brush the lemon juice over the chicken. If necessary, add ½ cup of water to the vegetables to prevent burning.
  8. * At 60 minutes:Baste the chicken with the pan juices. Test for doneness: The drumsticks should move easily in their sockets, and their flesh should feel somewhat soft. If not, continue roasting, basting, and testing every 7 to 8 minutes, until a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees.
  9. Let the chicken rest on a carving board for 15 minutes before slicing.
  10. Spoon all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the juices in the pan. Add the broth and boil until slightly syrupy, 5 minutes.
  11. Strain the sauce; you will have just enough to bathe each serving with a spoonful.
  12. Serve the sliced chicken and sauce with carrots and onions on the side. Enjoy.