Thankful Thursday-Simple Roasted Chicken

I am thankful for the simple roasted chicken we had for supper last night.  It was our first chicken from the pasture raised chickens we butchered on Saturday.

When cooking if I want to taste the "star of the show" I prefer to use less in seasoning.  So for roasting this chicken we used just a few ingredients.  We were all anxious to see if the taste would be different than our usual nasty grocery store chicken. 

Brant and Matthew without a doubt thought it tasted different.  I thought the breast tasted different.  Ryan just ate.  Funny thing was I am usually freaked out by chickens from the store.  They are nasty, slimy and have a weird gross smell.  As I took the chicken out yesterday afternoon to wash it I did not bat an eye at handling it.  Maybe because I knew where it came from, what it had been eating it's whole life and because I had just handled it on Saturday.  Also it did not stink and did not have that disgusting sliminess factory raised chickens usually do. 

Even if there were not a big difference in taste, we all agreed that because of the chicken's life, the way it was raised and what it ate, it is all around better for us.

Ingredients: 
1 (5 pound or smaller ) Roasting Chicken
salt (eyeball)
pepper (eyeball)
1 lemon quartered (surprisingly this gave off a strong taste.  Will omit next time)
3-4 garlic cloves
1 onion quartered
3-4 sprigs of thyme
2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425.
Allow the chicken to get to room temp for about 30 minutes.
Remove inside giblets and such. Rinse the bird under cold water.  Pat dry with a paper towel. sprinkle the inside of the cavity with salt and pepper.  Stuff the cavity with the lemon, garlic, onion, and thyme.  Rub the bird all over with butter.  Then season with salt and pepper.  Using kitchen twine tie the legs together and tuck the wings under.  Or cut small slit in the excess skin and tuck legs in the slit.  Place the chicken in the pan and roast for 1 1/2 hours or until golden and crispy and the juices run clear.  You can use a meat thermometer and check for doneness it should read 160.  Let the bird rest for about 15 minutes before you carve it.

Serve with homemade mashed potatoes of course!  And gravy made from the drippings of the chicken.  And go ahead and stem some broccoli.....easiest recipe ever for broccoli-add just about an inch and half of water to a medium size pot.  Add 1 teaspoon of sugar (yes, sugar); bring to a boil.  Toss in cut up broccoli trees (the boys call them little trees when they are cut up), place lid on pot and let steam for 8 minutes.  DONE!  And super delicious.

I just gave you a whole meal idea.  Enjoy! 

I am off to find more chicken recipes.  You'll be seeing lots of them here.  Do you have a favorite chicken recipe?  Leave me a comment.  Share a link.  If you have a blogged about it let me know, I'll share it here.

And come back tomorrow for FUN Friday/FUN Weekend.  I 'll give a recipe and craft for this up coming Memorial Day Weekend.