Barefoot Contessa's Perfect Roast Chicken ~

This is a fabulous dinner dish, and yes Ina you were right.  It is the Perfect Roast Chicken.  I tweaked it just a bit though, I omitted the carrots and added a halved yukon gold potato.  I replaced the butter with olive oil, but that didn't change the flavor of this dish at all.  If I were serving it to company, I would stick with the carrots and make a potato dish that I like.  I didn't strain the gravy, because I like the rustic bits in the pan sauce.  But, if it weren't just for me, I would strain the gravy.

And I have these twisty tie things, that truss a chicken or turkey.  I am sure you could find them in any kitchen store.  They are much easier to use than string and can be used time and again.  And go right into the dishwasher.  My chicken looks like an alien though ~

Here is the chicken right from the oven, after I removed the twisty tie thing.  The skin comes out golden brown and crisp.  My bird was only 3lbs, so I roasted it for 1 hour and 15 minutes and it was done perfectly.

I just poured a little sauce right on top of the fennel, potato and chicken.  Yum.

And thanks Ina, you are so right, this is just perfect.

Here's a link to Ina Garten's recipe.  Enjoy ~ 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_21404_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html