Seeking Roast Chicken Perfection

I’m on quest to make the perfect roast chicken. I keep trying new methods and new recipes. Today I decided to try roasting at a high heat of 500 degrees (F) inspired by Chef Michael Symon with a little Ina (Garten) of course.

Here’s what you need:

- A whole chicken
- Lemon
- Head of Garlic
- Thyme (optional)
- Salt
- Butter
- Carrots (optional)
- Kitchen Twine (optional)

Here’s what you do:

- Preheat your oven to 500 degrees F (yep)
- Put a big cast iron skillet in the oven to preheat too. I didn’t have one but I bought mine at Home Depot online. I think it was a 13.25 inch one. They sell tons of kitchen stuff online at Home Depot.
- While the oven and pan are preheating, prepare the chicken. How do you do that?
- Here’s what you do:

-Pat the chicken dry with paper towels so the skin gets crunchy
- Pull out the bag of stuff in the cavity and throw it out or find a use for it
- Cut a head of garlic in half
- Cut a lemon in quarters
- Shove the lemon, garlic and thyme in the cavity
- Tie the chicken legs together with twine
- I also sliced some lemon slices and put them under the breast skin with some thyme
- Melt some butter (maybe 2 tablespoons)
- Put the chicken in the hot skillet
- Paint the butter on the whole chicken
- Salt liberally
- Roast for ~45 mins (mine was a 3.5 lb chicken)

-While the chicken is roasting, peels some carrots
- When the chicken is done, take the chicken out of the pan and let it cool for about 20 mins on a cutting board
- Put the skillet with all the left over drippings on your stove on high and add the carrots and stir. Throw in the lemons and garlic from the cavity. Add salt. Cook and add water at times to keep the pan sizzling.
- Throw out the Lemons and Garlic