When I asked my husband for help naming this recipe, he suggested "World's Best Whole Chicken" and proceeded to quote the scene when Buddy the Elf walks into a coffee shop in NYC claiming to have the "worlds best cup of coffee". He clearly loves this chicken and I can't say I blame him.
I recommend reading through the recipe from beginning to end before you dive in.
Preheat your oven to 450°F. Be sure your racks are arranged so you have room to place the chicken on the middle rack. Remove the giblets and neck. The chicken I buy only contains the giblets, so don't panic if you can't find the neck. It would be as easy to find as the giblets. Run cold water inside the cavity of the chicken for 2 minutes. Pat the chicken dry inside and out. Place a rack in a roasting pan.
In a bowl, mix together the butter, garlic, rosemary, thyme, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper and lemon juice. I found a whisk worked best here. The butter has to be soft! If your mixture is too soft, place it in the fridge for 10 minutes. You want a soft compound butter.
Using your fingertips, gently separate the skin from the breast. Spread about 3/4 of the mixture between the skin and the meat. Smooth skin back down to cover meat.
Place the remaining 1/4 of the mixture inside the cavity of the bird. Place the chicken on the rack in your pan. Sprinkle the remaining salt and pepper on the outside of the bird.
Bake at 450°F for 20 minutes. Without opening the door, reduce the heat to 350°F. Cook for 40-50 minutes or until the juices run clear and a thermometer inserted into the inner thigh (but not touching the bone) reads 165°F.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
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