Roast Chicken with Basil, Lemon Butter & Potatoes

By laurie-2

YUM!

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 c thinly sliced fresh basil
• 5 tbs unsalted butter, room temp
• 2 lemons
• 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• coarse sea salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/4 lbs small potatoes
• 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• Italian parsley

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Pull off excess fat around cavities of chicken and discard. Rinse well with cold water and pat dry, inside and out. From the edge of the cavity, slip a finger under the skin of each of the breasts, then gently loosen the skin from the meat of the breasts and thights.

Put basil and butter in a bowl. Finley zest lemons into the bowl. Add garlic and greeen onions, stir to combine.

Using hands and working with 1 tbs of butter mixture at a time, push the mixture between the skin and chicken.

Season chicken all over using 2 to 3 tsp coarse salt and pepper. Tie legs together with cotton string.

Toss potatoes with olive oil.

Cut lemons into quarters and set aside.

Put a roasting pan (not nonstick) or 9 x 13 inch baking dish in oven to heat for 10 minutes. Remove and put potatoes and any oil left in the bowl into the pan. Keeping potatoes in a single layer. Push to the edge to make room for the chicken. Add chicken breast side up.

Roast 40 minutes, breast side up. Sprinkle parsley over potatoes and stir the parsley and potatoes to coat with pan drippings. Squeeze lemon over chicken and put the squeezed rinds into the roasting pan.

Roast until juices run clear with the thigh is pierced, 20 to 30 more minutes.

Remove from oven and allow chicken to rest 15 minutes.

Transfer to cutting board and let rest 5 more minutes, then carve. Spoon pan juices over chicken and serve with the potatoes and roasted lemons.