Roast Chicken with Herbs

This is the best roast chicken we've managed to pull off.  Maybe not the healthiest, but the mostly reliably moist and delicious, time after time.

Roast Chicken with Herbs

Adapted from Lemon-Herb Roast Chicken

1 4-to-5 pound chicken

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tsp. dried rosemary (or 1 tbsp. fresh), chopped

1 tsp. dried thyme or lemon thyme (or 1 tbsp. fresh)

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 tsp. grated lemon peel

1 wine glass white wine

1 roasting potato, peeled and chopped to roughly 1 inch pieces (optional)

1 to 2 carrots, peeled and chopped to 1 inch pieces (optional)

salt and pepper to taste if needed

- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

- Combine butter, herbs, garlic, and lemon in a small bowl.  Mash into a paste with a spoon.

- Rinse chicken and pat dry.

- Slide hand under skin of chicken breast to loosen.  Rub half of butter mixture on chicken under skin.  Spread remaining butter mixture on outside of chicken.

- Place chicken in a dutch oven, cook for 20 minutes.

- Peel and chop potatoes and carrots.

- After 20 minutes, reduce heat to 375 degrees.  Add potatoes, carrots, and wine to dutch oven.

- Roast 1 hour and 15 minutes.

- Check for doneness.  Remove chicken to a cutting board.  Tent with foil and rest for 10 minutes.

- Carve and serve with potatoes and carrots.