Herb-roasted Chicken

Herb-roasted Chicken (05/01/08)

This made the most tender and juicy chicken I have ever had...my family wholeheartedly agreed!

You will need:

1 roasting chicken (mine was about 5 lbs)

3 TBSP margarine, softened (not melted!)

2 tsp poultry seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp thyme

black pepper to taste

1/2 of a lemon

1 medium onion

1. Remove the chicken from packaging. Remove the liver, gizzards, and neck. Rinse chicken thoroughly with cold water.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the margarine and seasonings.

3. Lift skin up gently from the chicken, being careful not to tear it. Use your hands (don't be afraid to get messy here!) to spread the margarine mixture on the meat of the chicken. Rub it all over the chicken.

4. Cut the lemon in half. Cut the onion in half. Place half of the onion in the cavity of the chicken, then the lemon half, and then the other half of the onion. Pin the chicken closed using a meat pin or a large safety pin (sterilize it first please!).

5. Put the chicken in a plastic bag. Mine fit perfectly in an old hamburger bun bag. Sprinkle some extra poultry seasoning on the chicken if you want.

6. Put it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to marinate. (Time can be adjusted, or not marinated at all if you don't have the time. But the marniation allows for a more flavorful meat).

7. Don't bother to preheat your oven, just set it to 350 and put the bird in. (Poultry's doneness is measured by heat, not time, so there is no use in preheating the oven first.) I put mine in a 9x13 baking dish first so all the juice could cook around the chicken. For a 5 pound bird, it should take 1 hour and 40 minutes for the meat to reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees.