Perfect Roast Chicken

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Remove chicken from package and remove innards from the cavity (many brands of chicken make this easier by placing it all in a bag for you). Rinse chicken in cold water and then pat it dry and place it in a large roasting pan. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the 2-3 whole garlic cloves, the punctured lemon, celery and whole carrots.

Gently find the hole where the skin and bird separate and carefully work your hands under the skin of the entire bird. Be careful not to rip the skin, it acts as a pocket to keep all the flavors inside.

Combine the diced garlic, oregano, rosemary, thyme and olive oil in a bowl and mix it together. Generously salt and pepper the entire bird. Take a pastry brush and gently brush under the skin of the chicken with the oil mixture. You may have to get your hands back in there to distribute evenly. Make sure you get into all of the nooks and crannies of that chicken.

Once the oil mixture is evenly distributed under the skin, place the honey in a bowl in the microwave for 10-15 seconds till it’s warm and easier to work with. Brush the entire outside of the chicken with the honey.

Mix the sliced onion, chopped carrots and potatoes with some olive oil and salt and pepper. Place them around the chicken in the roasting pan. Wrap the pan in aluminum foil and place it in the oven. After 20 minutes or so, check on the chicken. There should be some broth at the bottom of the pan and use that to baste the chicken every 10-15 minutes the rest of the cooking time. If there is no broth, pour some of the chicken broth into the bottom of the pan (about a 1/2 cup or so). After basting it, put it back in the oven. After 45 minutes, remove aluminum foil and let chicken finish cooking without the foil.

The general rule of thumb for cooking time is 20 minutes for each pound of chicken. This normally runs between 1.5-2 hours. Just make sure a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165 F. When yours is done, remove it from oven and let it sit for 10 minutes to rest. Once cool enough to handle, cut and stuff your face!