Roast Herbed Chicken

All you have to do to wow friends and family? Take a beautiful whole chicken, season well with fragrant herbs, and pop in the oven. Minimum effort, maximum impact.

Serves 4 to 6  Prep Time 20 minutes  Cooking Time 45 to 60 minutes

1 (1 1/4- to 1 1/2-kilos) whole chicken
1 teaspoon rock salt
8 rounds freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
2 pieces bay leaf
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 whole onion, peeled
12 to 15 new potatoes, unpeeled
10 to 12 shallots, peeled
1/2 cup butter

1  Preheat oven to 350ºF.  

2  Wash chicken under cold running water and pat dry.

3  Mix salt, pepper, rosemary, sage, thyme, and lemon zest. Rub skin and cavity of the chicken with the mixed herbs. Place bay leaves in the cavity. Massage soy sauce into the skin and cavity of the chicken. Place onion inside the cavity and tie the legs together with kitchen twine to hold shape.

(RELATED: Learn how to tie a chicken here: How to Truss a Chicken)

4  Place chicken in a baking pan and surround with potatoes and shallots. Sprinkle with more of the herb mixture. Brush chicken and vegetables with butter and cover with foil.

5  Bake chicken until juices run clear when pierced, about 45 minutes to 1 hour, basting chicken occasionally and mixing potatoes from time to time.

6  Remove foil and bake again for another 10 minutes to brown the chicken. Once done, remove chicken from the pan and deglaze pan juices to serve as sauce for the chicken.

Photography by At Maculangan | Food Styling by Jun Jun de Guzman | Prop Styling by Paulynn Chang Afable | Props from Rustan’s Department Store (Multiple Choice blue and white bowl and teacup, Hotel Line white soup bowls, Noritake