Simple Chicken

There is so much good to be done by simply roasting a chicken.

The pre-roasted chicken that you can pick up at the grocery store is easy, yes. But the truth is that roasting your own is not that much harder. Master this task and you will be able to satisfy anyone, anytime.

Let me make it easier still:

Go to Whole Foods by Lake Calhoun this Wednesday, January 10th. Buy an organic chicken and 5% of the sale will go to Open Arms of Minnesota, the good souls who deliver free food to people with debilitating diseases like HIV/AIDS, ALS, MS and breast cancer.

Take your chicken home.

Put your chicken in a roasting pan and pat it dry with paper towels. Rub it stem to stern with butter, do not scrimp. Throw a 2T chunk of butter in the cavity. Then apply salt and cracked pepper to your liking.

Slice a medium lemon in half, place one piece inside the cavity. Squeeze the second half over the top of the bird and throw it in the pan. Cut an entire head of garlic in half and throw it in the pan. Sprinkle freshly chopped rosemary over the whole bird, throw a couple of sprigs in the cavity and a couple in the pan.

In a 400 degree oven, roast the bird for about 30 minutes per pound. Check for doneness early, the skin should be golden and crispy, the juices should run clear when the breast is poked with a skewer. Take the bird out and let it sit for a few minutes while you deglaze the pan with some white wine.

Good for the bones, good for the stomach, good for the soul.