Recipe - Julia Childs Favorite Roast Chicken

2 One half tablespoon Unsalted butter
1/3 cup Each finely minced carrots,
onion and celery
1 teaspoon Thyme, savory or mixed herbs
or 2 fresh thyme sprigs
4 pound Fresh chicken
Salt & freshly ground pepper
Parsley stems &celery leaves
6 1/8inch thick lemon slices
One half cup Each cut or sliced up onion & carrot
1 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice
Three fourths cup Chicken stock or broth

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet. Add the minced carrots, onion
and celery and cook over moderate heat until softened about 5 minutes. Stir
in the herbs.

Wash the chicken rapidly inside and out with hot water and pat thoroughly
dry. For easier carving, cut out and discard the wishbone. Pull the neck
skin up over the breast and secure it to the back with a toothpick. Salt
and pepper the cavity and spoon in the cooked vegetables, a handful of
parsley stems and celery leaves and the lemon slices. Massage the chicken
all over with 1 tablespoon of the butter then truss it. (Alternatively,
tie the ends of the drumsticks together and tuck the wings under the body)

Preheat oven to 425F. Choose a flameproof roasting pan that is 1 inch
larger than the chicken. Salt the bird all over and set it breast up on a
rack in the pan.

Roast the chicken in the oven for about 1 One half hours, as follows:

AT 15 MINUTES: Quickly brush the bird with the remaining One half tablespoon of
butter. Scatter the cut or sliced up vegetables around the bird. Reduce oven
temperature to 350F.

AT 30 MINUTES: Baste the chicken with the pan drippings.

AT 45 MINUTES: Brush the lemon juice over the chicken, Add One half cup of
water to the pan to prevent the vegetables from burning.

AT 60 MINUTES: Baste with the pan drippings. Begin testing chicken for
doneness: the drumsticks should move fairly easily in their sockets and
their flesh should feel somewhat soft. If not, continue roasting, basting
and testing every 78 minutes.

Spear the chicken through the shoulders and lift it up to drain; if the
last of the juices run clear yellow, the chicken is done. Set it on a
carving board and discard string. Let rest for 15 minutes.

Spoon all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the juices in pan. Add the stock
and boil rapidly until reduced and lightly syrupy. Strain the juices
you will have just enough to bathe each serving with a fragrant spoonful.

Rerinted from Food and Wine Magazine January 1997.
Posted to MMRecipes Digest V3 #342

From: Julie Bertholf jewel1@ix.netcom.com

Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 23:11:02 0800