If you don't have a dutch oven, you can use a deep baking pan, a cast iron skillet, or a roasting pan.
What you'll need:
Salt and pepper (season that puppy liberally!)
Butter (a thorough rub down all over the skin, 2-3 Tbsp) plus extra to grease the pan
1/2 lemon quartered (stuffed inside the cavity)
1/2 cubed butternut squash or other roasting veg (a nice bed for the chicken)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
First, preheat the oven to 425
1. Grease pan with softened butter. I used my hands. Measurements don't matter here.
2. Peel and cube butternut squash and lay in pan to cover the bottom, season with salt and pepper (you must season every layer!)
3. Rinse the whole chicken in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel (this allows for crispier skin!)
4. Turn him legs up and sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff in the lemon, some of the garlic, and the bay leaf
5. Slather the skin with butter, the rest of the garlic, and salt and pepper.
6. Nuzzle him over the veg and pop him in the oven with the lid off for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the juices run clear
7. Let him rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing into him
This recipe is fool proof. It's so easy and so much more economical than buying it already made. And let's not forget that there are no additives in my chicken!
Enjoy.
