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Ingredients
- 1 (3-4 pound) whole chicken
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened, plus 2 tablespoons, for sauce
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 small onion, quartered
- 5 cloves garlic, smashed
- A few sprigs rosemary, thyme, tarragon or a combination
- 1/4 cup red, rosé or white wine
Details
Adapted from online.wsj.com
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pat chicken dry and let rest at room temperature 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, warm a cast-iron pan (large enough for the chicken with a bit of room to spare) in preheated oven 15 minutes.
Once chicken has rested, massage it all over with 3 tablespoons butter. Salt chicken all over, outside and a little inside. Stuff chicken cavity with lemon, onion, garlic and herbs. Truss chicken or simply tie legs together.
Lay chicken on its side in a hot pan, return to oven and cook, basting occasionally, 30 minutes. Flip chicken so it rests on other side and cook, basting occasionally, 30 minutes more. Flip chicken so breast side is up and cook until juices run clear and chicken is cooked, 15-20 minutes more. Remove from oven and let chicken rest at least 15-20 minutes before serving.
Meanwhile, make a simple sauce from juices left in pan: Set pan over medium and add wine to deglaze. Let cook 2 minutes to burn off alcohol. Add remaining butter, shaking pan to emulsify. Add salt if needed. Strain sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a serving bowl. Serve sauce alongside chicken.
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