I’ve been feeling a little…uninspired lately, as you can probably tell from the lack of posts over the last month (oops…?). A lot of exciting things have been happening on the career front, which has left me with little time for much else. Between the daily office grind, my new duties as an unofficial event planner, attending multiple benefits and fashion parties every night, and squeezing in much-needed time for friends, family, and the random date now and again, I’ve been running on empty for what feels like forever. In other words, I’m burnt out, yo.
This explains why I’ve basically turned myself into a shut-in this weekend, deciding not to go out, not to see anyone, and refrain from answering the phone unless absolutely necessary. It’s working. I already feel a million times better. But then again, the roast chicken I made tonight might also have something to do with that.
Tonight, I needed comfort food, something familiar, a dish my mom might’ve made for me if she were here in NYC. This roast chicken is the best I’ve ever had (if I do say so myself). It’s simple and basic and perfect—things that my real life are most definitely not at the moment. The layer of butter spread over the bird in the very beginning serves to seal in the moisture, creating a juicy chicken with a light, crisp skin that is incredibly flavorful. Suffice it to say, it was just the thing I needed.
THE BEST ROAST CHICKEN
Ingredients:
1/2 cup good butter, at room temperature
3 1/2 lb chicken (free-range/organic if available)
Sea salt and black pepper
1 lemon
Several sprigs of thyme
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large roasting pan, smear the butter all over the bird with your hands. Season liberally with the sea salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice over the chicken. Put the thyme, garlic, and squeezed lemon halves into the cavity.
Roast the chicken in the over for 15 minutes. Take it out of the oven, baste, then turn the temperature down to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and roast for 50 minutes, taking it out of the oven to baste every 10 minutes or so. The bird will be a crisp golden brown color with buttery-lemony juices collecting in the pan.
When done, turn off the oven, leave the door slightly ajar, and let the chicken rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. This helps retain the moisture, making for the juiciest bird imaginable.
