Butter it up with this roast chicken recipe

Roast chicken is always a favourite among many meals around the table. This buttery roast chicken, with lemon and garlic, is as good as any Sunday lunch or dinner.

Ingredients

30ml (2 tablespoons) olive oil
4-5 sweet potatoes, skin on, scrubbed and chopped
1 head of garlic, halved
1,5kg free range chicken
45ml (3 tablespoons) Kerrygold butter, softened
1 sprig rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped plus one extra
8 sage leaves, finely chopped
2 stems thyme, leaves picked plus 1 stem, whole
sea salt flakes
freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, halved or quartered, if large

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 C.

Arrange the sweet potatoes and garlic on a greased roasting tray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Toss to coat.

In a small bowl, combine the Kerrygold butter, chopped rosemary, sage and picked thyme leaves. Spread the herbed butter over the entire chicken, then season well with salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Place half a lemon in the chicken cavity and tie with kitchen string.

Place the chicken, breast side down, in the roasting tin. Add the lemon wedges and the whole stems of rosemary and thyme. Roast for 30 minutes. Turn the chicken over and roast for a further 50-55 minutes or until the juices run clear. Baste several times during the cooking time. To ensure the skin is crispy, place under the grill for several minutes.

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