Prefect Roasted Chicken (my comfort food)

So one of my favorite cookbooks is The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (but they are all great) Page 130 is stained and has finger print and grease marks on it. I didn't realize how easy roasted chicken was until I was in my 40's. We now have this as often as my family will let me.

Sometimes I will make it earlier in the day and put it in the refrigerator so that I can run in, turn on the oven, and pop the chicken in. An hour and a half later I have a chicken. Just add rice and a salad and dinner is done. Its great for having guests over, everyone is happy.

The next day the left over chicken on the bones is put in with water and we have stock for the week, for soups or into the freezer for later.

We have lots of Thyme plants on hand mostly for Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

1 5-6 Pound Roasting Chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
large bunch fresh thyme
1 head of garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 Spanish onion thickly slice (really I just use whatever onion)
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the chicken in a roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of the lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Scatter the onion slices around the chicken.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove to a platter and cover with aluminum foil while you prepare the gravy.

Remove all the fat from the bottom of the pan, reserving 2 tablespoons in a small cup. Add the chicken stock to the pan and cook on high heat for about 5 minute, until reduced, scraping the bottom of the pan. Combine the 2 tablespoons of chicken fat with the flour and add to the pan. Boil for a few minutes to cook the flour. Strain the gravy into a small saucepan and season it to taste. Keep it warm over a very low flame wile you care the chicken.

Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve immediately with the warm gravy.