Classic Roast Chicken

By zorro623

Ingredients

• 1 stalk celery
• 1 (3 1/2pound) roasting chicken
• 1/2 tspn dried thyme
• 1/2 tspn salt
• 1 tblspn butter, softened, divided
• 1 onion, quartered

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 11mins

Preparation

Step 1

*save washing another pan. Make gravy to accompnay the chicken directly in the roasting pan. Stir 1 tblspn flour for each cup of pan juices and a small amount of water in to the roasting pan. Cook the gravy over medium-high heat, stirring continually until thickened

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Slice celery. Sprinkle inside cavity of chicken with thyme and salt; add 1 tspn butter, sliced celery and onion. Rub outside of chicken with remaining butter.
Tuck wing tips under back of chicken. Place chicken breast side-down on rack in roasting pan.
Add enough water to cover bottom of pan. Roast for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees. Roast for 20 minutes longer.
Turn chicken breast-side up. Roast until chicken is browned, about 30 minutes longer.

*Variation: substitute a whole boned turkey breast for the roasting chicken if your family mainly prefers white meat.