Herb De Provence Roasted Chicken

I hope everyone had a jolly St. Patty’s Day! We went to our favorite bar for beers and dinner with my parents and my nephew. My parents were on vacation for a few weeks so it was fantastic to see them again.  Kellen is with my mom once a week and they have a swim class together. While she was gone he missed it and was thrilled to have her back (such a spoiled boy).

Today I am sharing my recipe for Herb De Provence Roasted Chicken.  I use a little different method with this recipe than I do with my recipe for Lemon, Thyme and Sage Roasted Chicken, but both chicken recipes are delicious and turn out great for me each time.  Herb De Provence is a dried herb mix of herbs typical to the Provence region.  This normally includes: savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano and lavender. I purchased my mix while at the lavender farm in Washington Island, Door County while I was there with my friend Emily and the kids in the fall. I have loved using the mix for my roasted chicken and can’t wait to take another trip back while all the lavender is blooming.  The lavender fields are big and there is a lovely little café inside the main building that sells desserts.

For this recipe, I made a compound butter with the herbs as well as a bit of fresh lemon zest and a bit of garlic. I always make sure the rub the butter into the chicken really well so I get a nice golden crispy skin along with flavorful, and juicy meat.  I did not include directions for gravy, but this is a great way to use your drippings if you enjoy a little gravy with your chicken.  This recipe is so easy and the chicken is absolutely delicious. I love the unique flavor of the herb mixture and the freshness the lemon adds to the finished product.

Tonight, my friend Emily is coming for dinner and we are going to finish up the gift bags for her expo. There is no new Law and Order: SVU on tonight (sniff), but the bags will likely take up most of our time.  I just took a peek at the forecast for the rest of the week and it looks like it might be a bit warmer on Saturday, and I am hoping I can get Kellen to the zoo or to the park to play with his friends…. I am seriously chomping at the bit for nice weather! I am already getting super excited about upcoming trip to Florida and it isn’t for over a month…. I can’t wait to play on the beach with my little boy!

Happy  hump day folks! 

Ingredients

1 4 to 4 1/2 lb chicken

1 stick butter, at room temp

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 heaping Tbl Herbs De Provence 

1 tsp salt (+ plus extra for the seasoning the inside)

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper 

1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest

1 whole lemon, halved

Instructions

Allow chicken to sit uncovered in the fridge for a few hours before cooking. This step is not essential, but will help produce golden brown crispy skin.

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. 

Pat the chicken cavity dry, if needed, and salt the inside of the chicken . In a small mixing bowl, combine butter, garlic, herbs, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Rub the butter into the chicken making sure you gets under the wings and thighs.  Insert lemon halves into the empty chicken cavity. Truss the legs and place on a rack in a roasting pan (here is a good tutorial). 

Roast the chicken at 450 for  15 min. Reduce heat to  375 and cook for an additional 40-60 minutes, or until the temperature in the thigh reads 165 degrees. 

Remove from oven and place on a carving board. Allow the chicken to rest for about 10 minutes (you can strain the dripping and make gravy it you like during this time).  Carve and serve.