Roast Chicken by Kevin Sbraga

Don't underestimate the impact of a gorgeous, golden-brown roasted chicken as a festive main dish, especially when the skin has been rubbed with a buttery mixture of garlic, lemon zest, orange zest, and flavorful seasonings.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr
• Calories: 691 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 orange, zested
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 (4 pound) whole chicken
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 whole head garlic, minced
• 1 cup butter at room temperature
• 3 lemons, zested

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

Step 2

Rinse chicken and allow to air-dry for 30 minutes.

Step 3

Beat butter, garlic, lemon zest, orange zest, chives, sesame oil, thyme, salt, black pepper, and coriander in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Loosen skin of chicken over breast and thighs with your fingers; generously coat entire chicken with butter mixture, including inside cavity. Insert butter mixture beneath loosened skin.

Step 4

Place chicken on a rack set into a roasting pan with breast side down. Cover chicken with aluminum foil, sealing foil to roasting pan.

Step 5

Roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Uncover pan, turn chicken over so breast side faces up, and roast until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh reads 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), about 20 more minutes.

Step 6

Raise oven temperature to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Continue to roast chicken until skin is golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Let chicken rest 10 minutes before carving.