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Simply Roasted Chicken with Red Pepper Butter

Source of Recipe


David Page and Barbara Shinn






List of Ingredients



• -- For the Red Pepper Butter --
  
• 8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  
• 1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers (you can use jarred roasted red peppers)
  
• 1 Tbsp minced shallots
  
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh chives
  
• 2 tsp minced garlic
  
• 1 tsp minced lemon zest
  
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  
• .
  
• -- For the Roasted Chicken --
  
• 1 chicken, about 3-1/2 lbs.
  
• 1/2 lemon, cut in half
  
• 1 fresh thyme sprig
  
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
  
• 10 large fresh basil leaves
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  






Instructions



1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees (F).
   
   
2. To make the red pepper butter: Chop and mix all of the ingredients in a bowl.
   
   
3. Rub the inside of the bird with the cut lemon and 2 tablespoons of the red pepper butter. Season the inside with salt and pepper and drop the herbs into the cavity of the bird. Twist the wing tips behind the thickest part of the wings. Coat the skin of the bird with 2 tablespoons of the remaining butter. Season with salt and pepper.
   
   
4. Place the bird on a roasting rack fitted on a baking sheet. Roast until the skin is golden and crackling crisp, 35 to 40 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and roast the bird for 25 to 30 minutes longer. To see if the bird is fully cooked, pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a thin-bladed knife. The juices should run clear. Transfer the bird to a cutting board and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.
   
   Use the remaining butter on sauteed vegetables, hot corn on the cob, or mashed potatoes. The butter can be frozen for up to 4 months.
   
   Makes 4 servings.