PittsburghFoodLibrary: Roast Chicken with Artichokes and Parsley Butter

I made this with my mom a few weeks ago, and then again by myself for friends. Of course it turned out better when I made it with my mom, because that's just how it goes. Regardless, this is a very simple and delicious roasted chicken recipe even though "parsley butter," or "gremolata" as Bon Appétit refers to it, sounds kind of fancy.

Serves 4-5

Roast Chicken with Artichokes and Parsley Butter
From: Bon Appétit

Ingredients

1 4-5 pound whole chicken
2 8oz boxes frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
5 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley (regular parsley works fine too)
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, pressed

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. With a spoon or a small food processor, mix together the butter, parsley, lemon zest, and garlic in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Place chicken in a heavy rimmed roasting pan or baking dish and pat dry with paper towels. Carefully slide hand under chicken breast skin (chicken shears can help too) to loosen skin from meat. Spread 2 tablespoons of seasoned butter under skin and 1 tablespoon on top of the chicken; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place chicken in oven and roast for 45 minutes.

4. Arrange artichokes around the chicken and baste the artichokes with the chicken drippings. Continue roasting for about 25 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken thigh reads at least 180 degrees.

5. Remove artichokes with a slotted spoon and set aside. Tilt chicken over baking sheet so that the juices empty onto one side of the baking sheet. Place chicken onto a platter and brush with 1 tablespoon of seasoned butter. Pour the juices into a sauceboat; mix with remaining seasoned butter and lemon juice. Serve chicken with artichokes and pan juice mixture.

Parsley butter: