Another November is upon us and it’s time to start thinking about those festive meals…

Roast chicken is one of my favorite dishes to prepare during the holidays – it’s relatively easy, everybody loves it, and it’s a great excuse to roast some vitamin-rich veggies while you’re at it!

This recipe is straight-forward and pretty much foolproof, and always seems to be a huge hit. The butter leaves the chicken moist and the herbs add just enough flavor to pique interest without detracting from other festive side dishes.

The trick though is to massage the bird, so let’s get our hands buttered up!

INGREDIENTS

A 3 to 4 lb whole raw chicken, thawed
2 x 4 tablespoons grass-fed butter
2 x 1 teaspoon dried basil
2 x 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
2 x 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
8 to 12 fresh basil leaves

RECIPE

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Place the chicken in an oven-safe dish.
Melt the first 4 tablespoons of butter.
Add the first teaspoon of basil, the first teaspoon of cilantro, and the first teaspoon of garlic into the melted butter and stir.
Using your hands, massage the herb-butter mix into the raw chicken, getting in under the skin as well. The chicken should be very well smothered in the butter mix before it enters the oven.
Once you’ve buttered it up, place the chicken dish in the oven to roast for 25 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven and turn the oven temperature down to 325 degrees F.
Make the second batch of butter-herb mix and repeat the massaging process, this time, flipping the chicken onto its back first and basting the underside, then positioning it back on its stomach and rubbing the herb-butter mix into the rest of the body, before placing it back in the oven for 1 hour.

Once the hour is up, remove the chicken from the oven and, using a baster pump, suck up the excess herb-butter mix surrounding the chicken in the pan and pour it over the chicken. Decorate the chicken with fresh basil leaves.

Place the chicken back in the oven to roast until the interior temperature of the meaty thigh reaches 165 degrees F.

Remove the dish from the oven, slice the chicken and serve while warm.

Happy Holidays!

Camilla Carboni

@camillacarboni | camillacarboni.com

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