Simple and Straightforward...Roasted Herb Chicken

Last night I made a butter-herb mixture in the food processor, with herbs from my garden, and coated two birds- inside and out. I roasted them and voila......yummy herb-roasted chicken. I roast two chickens from time to time, have the carved chicken the first night, then de-bone and refrigerate the rest for a few meals the rest of the week. The shredded chicken can be used to make Spanish-Paprika Chicken, Chicken Quesadillas, Chicken Pot-pies, and a whole slew of other easy meals. It saves me so much time because the meat is already ready!

-Don't forget to strain off your drippings, fat and herbs, and freeze your homemade chicken stock for later use!

Herbed-Roasted Chicken

2-3 sprigs fresh Tarragon

3-4 sprigs fresh Rosemary

½ cup fresh Parsley –chopped

1/8 cup fresh oregano

1 cup fresh sweet Basil-chopped

4 cloves whole peeled fresh Garlic

½ stick butter-room temperature

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Juice of one fresh lemon

Wash all herbs.  Remove tarragon and rosemary from sprigs, and add them to your food processor. Add butter and olive oil. Add salt and pepper-pulse till all ingredients are combined into a paste. Add lemon juice & mix again.

Add the herb butter to your previously washed whole chickens. Saturate the outside skin, as well as the inside cavity.

Roast your chickens at 400 for 60 minutes uncovered, and then decrease heat to 375 for the remaining two hours. Roasting the chicken on a low heat for this length of time will give you a very tender and juicy result.