Roasted Chicken with Mayonnaise and Lemon Herb Butter

Lemon Herb Butter Roast Chicken. I'm talking about all the crispy skin, the tender, juicy meat, and the delicious gravy you get to spoon over the potatoes I know you're serving on the side. This is everything. The secret is the lemon herb butter. (You could totally use ghee if you're on The Whole30 Program.) It's mixed with lemon zest, tons of chopped herbs, and plenty of salt and pepper. You take that flavourful butter and spread it both under the skin and over the whole bird. Yes, under the skin means getting up close and personal, but it's worth it. Chicken breasts have a tendency to dry out. We don't want that. By sandwiching the butter between the breasts and the skin, you're guaranteed to have juicy meat. (BTW: if you're having a big group over for Thanksgiving, you could totally make this butter and use it on your turkey. I've done it. It's amazing.)

1 (3-4 lb) whole chicken, innards removed (1.3-1.8 kg)
1 lemon
2 carrots, chopped
2 large shallots, quartered
1 apple, cored and cut into 8 pieces
2-3 stems thyme
2-3 stems oregano
2-3 stems rosemary

Lemon Herb Butter:
¼ cup butter, softened
2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
2 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
2 cloves garlic, very finely minced
1 lemon, freshly zested

Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C/200°C fan, Gas Mark 7).

Mix all the lemon herb butter ingredients together in a small bowl. Use the zest from the lemon you'll use with the chicken. (You only need one lemon).

Cut the lemon in half and remove as many seeds as possible. Place the carrots, shallots, apple, and herbs in the bottom of a baking pan.

Dry the chicken with paper towels then spread half the butter under the skin on the breasts. Using your hands, make small pockets between the flesh and the skin near the cavity side of the chicken. Stuff some butter into the pockets then use your hands to push it up over the whole breasts. Try to stuff some more butter under the skin around the legs. Be careful not to break the skin. Use half the butter under the skin and rub the remaining butter over the skin.

Place the butter rubbed chicken on top of the veggies in the pan. Squeeze the lemon juice over the top then nestle the lemon halves beside the chicken. Roast the chicken for 45 minutes then turn the oven down to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4) and roast for another 45 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven and place it on a serving platter. Spoon the veggies out of the pan and place them beside the chicken. Discard the lemon and herbs. Pour the remaining juices into a bowl and serve beside the chicken.

Makes 4-6 servings.