Kent's Roast Chicken

Kent's Basic Roast chicken

Cooking Time = approximately 1-1.25 hours

Serves 4-6

One 2 pound free range, organic, happy chicken

1 lemon, zested and remaining lemon cut in half

2 slices of uncured, nitrate-free bacon, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

One good handful mixed fresh herbs, ( parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme) mix and match all or just a couple

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup grass-fed butter

2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 large sweet onions, peeled and cut into wedges

( optional) one large celeriac, peeled

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven and roasting pan to 425 degrees.  Wash your happy chicken inside and out and thoroughly dry.  Season whole chicken inside and out with salt and pepper.  Peel back the breast skin with your hands and stuff with half of the butter, herbs, and lemon zest, and all of the chopped bacon.  Take the remaining herbs, butter and zest and rub the outside of the chicken.  Stuff the cavity with the lemon and tie the legs together (truss). Put onto the pan in the oven to cook for 15-20 minutes while gathering the remaining ingredients.

Get the vegetables into the pan, toss them around in the melted goodness, and position the chicken on top of the vegetables so they can soak up the delicious drippings.  Cook the chicken for another 45-60 minutes until skin is well browned and thermometer registers 160ish degrees. Pull out to rest for 10 to 15 minutes, remove the meat and vegetables and put the pan on the stove.  If you'd like a gravy, hit the hot pan with a glass of dry white wine, and a little stock. Scrape up all the brown bits with a sturdy spatula and let reduce until delicious. Pour on top of vegetables and meat and enjoy.