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Juicy, Butter Stuffed Roast Chicken

There is nothing more comforting than a good roast chook on a cold night and this is by far my favourite way to do it. I was always a sceptic on stuffing the skin with butter as I always just thought it would melt straight out and do nothing to the final result, but it really does make a huge difference to how juicy and tender the chicken comes out at the end. This recipe relies on a thermometer, and I honestly swear by a good thermometer in the kitchen. So if you don’t have one, I'd highly recommend the (very small) investment.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Course Dinner

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Whole chicken patted dry
  • Salt and pepper
  • Olive oil
  • BUTTER:
  • 100 g Butter softened
  • 4 Garlic cloves minced
  • 1 Large sprig of rosemary finely chopped
  • 1 Lemon zested
  • Salt and pepper
  • UNDER CHICKEN:
  • 250 ml White wine
  • 1 Brown onion chopped
  • 1/2 Fennel bulb chopped
  • 1 Carrot chopped
  • 1 Bulb garlic halved horizontally

Instructions
 

  • Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
  • Preheat oven to 210˚C.
  • Mix together the ingredients for the butter and set aside.
  • Add chopped veggies and wine to the base of a roasting tin and place a wire rack over the top for the chicken to sit on.
  • Using a large rounded spoon, carefully prize the skin away from the flesh by wiggling it under the skin, breaking the membrane and leaving you with a pocket to stuff with butter. You only need to do this on the breast and optionally the thighs too.
  • Take about a tablespoon at a time of the butter and flatten it in your hands as much as possible before gently sliding it under the skin. Repeat until the pockets are filled on both sides of the breast. Any leftover butter can be smeared on the top of the chicken or placed inside the open cavity.
  • Drizzle the chicken with a good amount of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt.
  • Tie the drumsticks together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips underneath the bird.
  • Place the chicken on the roasting rack and insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, just touching the breast plate/bone.
  • Transfer the chicken to the preheated oven and roast for 10 minutes at 210˚C then turn the heat down to 170˚C.
  • The timing will vary greatly depending on the size of your chicken and the temperature it was before putting in the oven which is why I always rely on a thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, a good way to test whether it's done is to pierce the skin between the drumstick and the body. If the juice runs clear, it's cooked, if it's still red, place it back in the oven. The total cooking time should be around 45 minutes to an hour 15. Pull the chicken from the oven when it reaches 65˚C and leave it in a warm place to rest. Do not cover the chicken it will make the skin go soggy. If you leave the thermometer in, you will notice that the internal temperature will rise a few more degrees and should reach somewhere between 67 and 70˚C by the time its ready to be carved.
  • Strain the pan juices from the bottom of the tray. I like to reduce it slightly in a pan to thicken it a little and re-emulsify everything, but this is optional.
Keyword chicken, dinner, roast chicken