Roast Chicken With Rosemary Butter

I needed something different to do with my roast chicken. I can't give you a good reason why, but I did. Remember the falling-apart cookbook from last week? It happened to fall open at this page,l and I decided to give it a try. Since the leftovers were just the wings, I'd say it was a success.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH ROSEMARY BUTTER

One whole roasting chicken
salt
1/2 stick (4 tbsp) butter or margarine
1 clove garlic
1/2 lemon
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
10 turns fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup water

Rinse the chicken cavity. Cut it open to spatchcock or not, as you see fit, set it in your roasting pan, and salt the inside.

In the food processor, place the butter, garlic, lemon, rosemary, paprika, salt and pepper. Whirl until it's a lumpy paste, like this.
Loosen the chicken skin with your fingers, without breaking it, and stuff the butter mix under the skin of the chicken, spreading out as evenly as possible. Pour 1/2 cup water in the bottom of the roasting pan. Cook at 450F for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350F and cook until the chicken is done (15 to 20 minutes per pound).
To make gravy, skim the butterfat off the top along with the chicken fat. The pan drippings make excellent gravy, with the flavor from the rosemary butter adding greatly to its taste!