This. Is. Our. Favorite. Whole chicken is great for meals with guests or special meals for just the two of us. We stuff sage under the chicken skin and slather it in butter. It’s spatchcocked to impress—you can ask your butcher to do this or tune into YouTube to see how it’s done—but the technique also makes the chicken tender and the skin crispy no matter who is coming over. The herb rub also works on Thanksgiving turkeys. Please make sure, however, that you coordinate your foil-tenting strategy with your in-laws ahead of time.
Sage Butter Roast Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 (4- to 5-pound) whole chicken, spine removed
- Salt and pepper
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup chopped sage, plus additional leaves to serve
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Pat the entire chicken dry with a paper towel. Place dried chicken skin side down on a baking sheet or in a large cast-iron pan and season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
- In a small bowl, mix together the butter, herbs, garlic, and a generous pinch of salt.
- Starting with the opening nearest the chicken breast, stuff the mixture in between the chicken skin and flesh. Spread it into as many spaces as possible, being careful not to tear the skin.
- Use a toothpick or skewer to poke holes in the skin all over. This will help the skin become crispy.
- Roast for 40 to 45 minutes until the internal temperaturereaches 165°F.
- Allow the chicken to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. Garnish with sage leaves.
Notes
Excerpted with permission from The Date Night Cookbook by Ned and Ariel Fulmer with Kiano Moju. © Fulmer Media, Inc. Published by Countryman Press, a division of W.W. Norton & Company.