WHOLE ROASTED CHICKEN

Ingredients 

FOR THE CHICKEN

• Whole Chicken - 1
• Garlic - 3 cloves (minced)
• Rosemary(dried) - 1 tbsp
• Unsalted butter(softened) - 3 tbsp
• Crushed black pepper - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Pepper - to taste
• Lemon - 1
• For the potatoes
• Potatoes - 4 large (or use about 15 baby potatoes)
• Rosemary (dried) - 2 tsp (or use 1 tbsp of fresh rosemary)
• Garlic - 1 bulb
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Pepper - 1/4 tsp
• Olive Oil - 2 tbsp

Direction

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Wash the potatoes and dry it completely using a clean kitchen towel. If you are using large potatoes, cut it into big chunks. If using baby potatoes, you can leave them whole.
• Take the potatoes in a large bowl. Mix the olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary with it.
• Cut the garlic bulb in half or leave it whole. Add it along with the above mixture.
• Take a large roasting dish and drizzle some olive oil. Add the potatoes and spread it at the bottom of the pan.
• Clean the chicken and dry it completely.
• Juice the lemon and rub it all around the chicken. Leave the lemon rind along with the potatoes in the baking dish. 
• Mix the butter, garlic, rosemary, salt, crushed pepper powder and the leftover lemon juice in a bowl.
• Spread some of this butter mixture under the skin of the chicken. Spread the remaining butter all over the chicken.
• Place the chicken carefully on the bed of potatoes.
• Tuck the legs and wings of the chicken under the body to prevent it from getting burnt.
• Bake for about 1.5 hours. Check the internal temperature. If it has reached 170 degree F, remove it from the oven. If not keep it for another 10 minutes and check. If you do not have a kitchen thermometer, cut with a knife into the chicken. If the juices coming out of the chicken are clear and  colourless, then the chicken is cooked. Do not overcook, else the chicken will become dry.
• Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before you dig in.