2 tbls butter, softened
7-8 fresh basil leaves
juice from half a lemon
salt and pepper
Chop up the basil. Mix it together with the butter, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Loosen the skin on the chicken and rub the butter mixture underneath. Work it around so it is spreads evenly. Spread a little on top of the skin too. Cook at 350 for 30-40 minutes or so , or until done. If you want to do it with a whole chicken just double everything and change the cooking time appropriately.
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Ok, this one is a gimmie. Wicked easy and quick, but unbelievably good. What to do with the other half a lemon could cause an issue I guess, my girlfriend put it in a Pepsi. So there's an idea for you. Or you could probably freeze it... I will have to look into that. Or if you are doing a whole chicken you use the whole lemon, so that solves that problem. First you want to chop up the fresh basil. In most recipes dried can be substituted, but not here, it really needs to be fresh or else the flavor just isn't the same. Mix it up with the butter, juice, salt and pepper. The juice won't mix into the butter perfectly, I wound up pouring the last little bit on.
Set that aside. Now work your fingers under the skin of the chicken, getting it nice and loose. 
Now you want to rub the butter under the skin and don't be shy about it. This is a trick a buddy of mine showed me. It is amazing.
The herb butter is going to soak into the meat and make it wonderful. 
Rub some on the outside too, it helps browning.
And there you go, that's it. Cook it at 350 until it is done how you like it. I line my pan with aluminium foil to make cleanup easier.
I like my chicken well done, so I do it for about 45 minutes. Here the skin has pulled away from the meat a lot, but that's no biggie. Since we rubbed it with the herb butter it hasn't dried out and still has lots of flavor. 
We're having it with carrots that have been boiled a bit (I like my veggies crunchy) and tossed with equal parts butter and honey and some parsley and salt and pepper (Yes, I do like buttered carrots). Just a little salt and pepper, it doesn't take much. The carrots are best if you let them sit for a couple minutes so they soak up the butter and honey, but that didn't happen tonight. Such is life.
6 comments:
Mmmm. Roasted chicken with butter and basil. Good stuff there, Bob.
Why thank you. We enjoyed it very much. :)
hi! I am excited about your blog...bob?
how about some summer recipies...cauz it is to hot to cook in LA.
I think you are cute;)
Heya Cyn! Yeah, it's Bob here. I took on a nom de blog so the people I steal recipes from can't sue. Heh. Summer recipes, hmmm? Maybe I will bust out my chicken salad recipe. I have a tuna/pasta salad recipe too, but it's pretty basic. I will go through the pile, see what's what.
I'm so relieved you like buttered carrots, so now I don't have to tell Aunt Verna you don't.
I think you're cute, too. I know, I'm such a Cyndi wannabe.
Please don't tell Aunt Verna! Heh. Yeah, the ladies love 'em grey and fuzzy. :)
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