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Julia Child's Favorite Roast Chicken
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Julia Child's Favorite Roast Chicken

Course Main
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 1 whole chicken
Author Pam - For the Love of Cooking

Equipment

  • Large Roasting Pan with Roasting Rack
  • Meat Thermometer
  • Strainer

Ingredients

  • 2½ tbsp unsalted butter divided
  • ⅓ cup carrots finely diced
  • ⅓ cup onion finely diced
  • ⅓ cup celery finely diced
  • 2 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1 (3½ to 4 lbs) Whole chicken
  • Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • A handful of fresh parsley stems
  • A handful of celery leaves
  • 6 lemon slices, ⅛-inch-thick
  • ½ cup onion sliced
  • ½ cup carrots sliced
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • ½ cup of water to help veggies from burning if needed
  • ¾ cup chicken broth

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  • Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet. Add the diced carrots, onion, and celery, and cook over medium heat until softened. Add the thyme sprigs.
  • Wash the chicken inside and out, then pat it dry. Pull the neck skin up over the breast and secure it to the back with a toothpick. Season the cavity with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
  • Spoon in the cooked vegetables, a handful of parsley stems, celery leaves, and lemon slices. Massage the chicken all over with 1 tablespoon of butter.
  • Place a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Salt the entire chicken evenly and set it breast side up on a rack in the pan.
  • Place the chicken into the oven and roast for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, as follows:
  • * At 15 minutes:
    Brush the chicken with the remaining ½ tablespoon of butter. Scatter the sliced onion and carrot all around. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
  • * At 45 minutes:
    Brush the lemon juice over the chicken. If necessary, add ½ cup of water to the vegetables to prevent burning.
  • * At 60 minutes:
    Baste the chicken with the pan juices. Test for doneness: The drumsticks should move easily in their sockets, and their flesh should feel somewhat soft. If not, continue roasting, basting, and testing every 7 to 8 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees.
  • Let the chicken rest on a carving board for 15 minutes before slicing.
  • Spoon all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the juices in the pan. Add the broth and boil until slightly syrupy, about 5 minutes.
  • Strain the sauce; you will have just enough to bathe each serving with a spoonful.
  • Serve the sliced chicken and sauce with carrots and onions on the side. Enjoy.