SAGE AND GARLIC ROAST CHICKEN

Sage and Garlic Roast Chicken image

Provided by Tea Girl

Categories Chicken

Time 1h29m

Yield 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 11

4 lbs whole chickens (can use smaller but the cooking time is different then)
1 1/2-2 teaspoons lemon pepper
22 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped (must be be fresh, don't substitute!)
3 garlic cloves, pressed
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons chicken fat (chicken fat is better, but use olive oil if you don't have it, but not extra virgin) or 2 tablespoons olive oil (chicken fat is better, but use olive oil if you don't have it, but not extra virgin)
salt and black pepper
8 sprigs parsley
2 small onions, quartered
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lemon, quartered

Steps:

Heat oven to 240°C (475°F).
Add butter, sage, lemon pepper and garlic in a bowl and combine.
Using your fingers and a small, sharp knife, loosen skin of chicken from breasts and thighs.
Slip butter mixture between skin and meat, spreading it evenly.
Brush skin with chicken fat or oil and season cavity with salt and pepper to taste.
Stuff with lemon, parsley, some of the carrots and 1 quartered onion.
Tie legs together with kitchen twine.
Put the other quartered onion and leftover carrots onto center of roasting pan and place chicken on top of them.
Roast for 20 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 200°C (400°F).
Continue roasting until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh reads 80°C (170°F), about 1 hour. This will be about 20 minutes less with a pound less chicken.
Transfer chicken to where you plan to carve and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.