Recipe: Roast Chicken with Rosemary-Orange Butter

ROAST CHICKEN WITH ROSEMARY-ORANGE BUTTER

3 shallots, divided use
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, room temperature
4 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 (7 pound) whole roasting chicken, neck and heart reserved
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 400 degrees F.

TO MAKE THE ROSEMARY BUTTER:
Mince 1 shallot; mix with butter, rosemary and peel in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Set rosemary-orange butter aside.

TO ROAST THE CHICKEN:
Pat chicken dry. Using fingers, loosen skin from chicken breasts, legs and thighs. Sprinkle chicken cavity with salt and pepper. Spread half of rosemary-orange butter under chicken skin. Tie chicken legs together to hold shape. Spread remaining butter over chicken. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

Place rack in large roasting pan. Add reserved chicken neck and heart to pan, then onion, carrots and celery. Chop remaining 2 shallots; add to pan. Place chicken, breast side up, on rack in pan.

Roast chicken until meat thermometer inserted into innermost part of thigh registers 180 degrees F, stirring vegetables in pan occasionally, about 1 hour 40 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter. Tent with foil while making sauce (do not clean pan).

TO MAKE THE PAN SAUCE:
Place same roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add wine to pan; simmer until most of wine evaporates, scraping up any browned bits, about 5 minutes. Add broth. Simmer until sauce is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, stirring often, about 6 minutes. Strain into 2-cup glass measuring cup; discard solids. Spoon fat from top of sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve chicken with pan sauce.

Makes 4 servings
Adapted from source: The Flavors of Bon Appetit 2000