Roast Chicken

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 (4 -5 lb) whole chickens
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoon seasoned pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 450°.
• 2 if applicable, remove neck and giblets from chicken and reserve for another use.
• 3 rinse chicken with cold water, and drain cavity well.
• 4 pat dry with paper towels.
• 5 sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt inside cavity.
• 6 place lemon half inside cavity.
• 7 stir together pepper, rosemary, and remaining 1 tsp salt.
• 8 brush outside of chicken with oil.
• 9 rub 2 1/2 tsp pepper mixture into skin.
• 10 sprinkle remaining pepper mixture over both sides of breast.
• 11 place chicken, breast side up, on a lightly greased wire rack in a lightly greased shallow roasting pan.
• 12 add 3/4 cup water to pan.
• 13 bake for 20 minutes; decrease oven temp to 375°, and bake 30 minutes.
• 14 baste chicken with pan juices; drizzle with melted butter.
• 15 bake 15-25 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in thigh registers 165°, shielding with foil to prevent excessive browning, if necessary.
• 16 remove chicken from oven, and baste with pan juices.
• 17 let stand 10 minutes before slicing.