Roasted Chicken with Bouquet Garni

Ingredients:

• 1 family-size roasting chicken (defrosted)

Aromatics:

• Garlic, minced
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 sprig parsley

Flavor balancers:

• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• 1 tbsp. butter or oil

Directions:

1. Place the chicken in a roasting pan.
2. Fill the bottom of the pan with 1 inch of water.
3. Melt the butter, and apply to the outside of the chicken’s skin.
4. Generously apply salt, pepper, and garlic.
5. To make your bouquet garni, tie the following herbs together with string to make a bundle: 1 sprig rosemary, 2 sprigs thyme, 1 sprig parsley, and 3 bay leaves.
6. Place the bouquet garni in the water.
7. Cover chicken with an aluminum foil tent, making certain to keep the edges tight around the roasting pan.
8. Roast at 350°F until breast meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (about 2-3 hours).
9. Baste chicken frequently during cooking to make sure all the flavors get mixed thoroughly.

Chef Tips:

• Remove aluminum tenting during the last 30 minutes of cooking to give the chicken a nice crispy skin.
• Chicken broth in pan can also be used as gravy or can be filled with veggies before cooking to help soak up all the extra flavor!
• You can also alternatively place the bouquet garni in the open cavity of the chicken or chop up the herbs and place them on top of the chicken before baking, avoiding having to make a bouquet garni at all.