Lemon Thyme Roasted Chicken

As the weather cools, I love putting a whole chicken in the oven to roast on a Sunday afternoon. The aromas are intoxicating and your mouth waters as the chicken slowly browns in the oven. Serve with Lemon Garlic Red Potatoes & Sautéed Green Beans and a nice Chardonnay for a perfect Sunday dinner!

1 whole roaster chicken, approximately 6 to 8 pounds
2 each oranges -- 1 quartered and 1 juiced
2 each lemons -- 1 quartered and 1 juiced
1/2 each red onion -- cut in fourths
4 sprigs fresh thyme
8 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and
roughly chopped.
Kosher salt
Steak Seasoning
2 cups chicken broth

Remove giblets and place in the bottom of large roasting pan. Wash and pat chicken dry. Place on a roasting rack, breast side up, and put the rack in the large roasting pan on top of the giblets.

Stuff chicken with the quartered orange, the quartered lemon, red onion and 1/2 of thyme sprigs.

Gently use your hands to loosen the skin from the breast of the chicken. Evenly spread 5 of the smashed cloves of garlic between the skin and the breast meat.

Tie legs of chicken together to hold shape.

Sprinkle kosher salt, steak seasoning, and thyme leaves from remaining sprigs on the outside of chicken.

Place in 400-degree oven. Roast for 1 hour. If necessary, add water pan to keep pan juices from burning

In the mean time, finely chop remaining 3 cloves of garlic, juice of one lemon and juice of one lime in a bowl. Stir and reserve for basting.

After 1 hour, baste chicken with juice mixture; add water to pan if needed.

Roast an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour* or until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees (meat thermometer in thigh at its innermost point, but not touching a bone) basting with additional sauce or broth if necessary.

When chicken is done, remove to a platter and lightly cover (tent) with foil to rest while making sauce

TO MAKE SAUCE:
Remove giblets and discard. Place roasting pan on burner. Bring to simmer and pour in remaining chicken broth/basting liquid if any. Scrape up all brown bits. Simmer for 3 minutes to slightly reduce. Add burre rouge (2 TABLEspoons softened, unsalted butter mixed with 2 TABLEspoons butter), and whisk until smooth. Strain and serve with roast chicken.

*NOTE: Final cooking time will be determined by the size of the chicken, so after the first hour, check with a meat thermometer so you don’t over or under-cook the meat.