In a World of My Own: Roast Chicken by Julia Child

I have to admit, I have made many a roast chicken. I have made so many chickens you can say for me they have become multicultural. I have not made any recipes by Julia Child, so you could say, this is the first. For me, I would say this is fitting.

Here is everyone's favorite cook. She didn't even need to graduate from cooking school to achieve her dreams. Here is her recipe which I found in Food and Wine Magazine.

JULIA CHILD'SFAVORITE ROAST CHICKEN Serving Size : 4

Recipe By : Food and Wine Magazine

2½ tablespoons Unsalted butter	Salt & freshly ground pepper
⅓ cup Each finely diced carrots, onion	Parsley stems & celery leaves
and celery	6 ⅛-inch thick lemon slices
1 teaspoon Thyme, savory or mixed herbs	½ cup Each sliced onion & carrot
OR 2 fresh thyme sprigs	1 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice
4 pounds Fresh chicken	¾ cup Chicken stock or broth

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet. Add the diced carrots, onion and celery and cook over moderate heat until softened about 5 minutes. Stir in the herbs.

Wash the chicken rapidly inside and out with hot water and pat thoroughly dry. For easier carving, cut out and discard the wishbone. Pull the neck skin up over the breast and secure it to the back with a toothpick. Salt and pepper the cavity and spoon in the cooked vegetables, a handful of parsley stems and celery leaves and the lemon slices. Massage the chicken all over with 1 tablespoon of the butter then truss it. (Alternatively, tie the ends of the drumsticks together and tuck the wings under the body)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Choose a flameproof roasting pan that is 1 inch larger than the chicken. Salt the bird all over and set it breast up on a rack in the pan.

Roast the chicken in the oven for about 1½ hours, as follows:

AT 15 MINUTES: Quickly brush the bird with the remaining ½ tablespoon of butter. Scatter the sliced vegetables around the bird. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

AT 30 MINUTES: Baste the chicken with the pan drippings.

AT 45 MINUTES: Brush the lemon juice over the chicken, Add ½ cup of water to the pan to prevent the vegetables from burning.

AT 60 MINUTES: Baste with the pan drippings. Begin testing chicken for doneness: the drumsticks should move fairly easily in their sockets and their flesh should feel somewhat soft. If not, continue roasting, basting and testing every 7-8 minutes.

Spear the chicken through the shoulders and lift it up to drain; if the last of the juices run clear yellow, the chicken is done. Set it on a carving board and discard string. Let rest for 15 minutes.

Spoon all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the juices in pan. Add the stock and boil rapidly until reduced and lightly syrupy. Strain the juices -- you will have just enough to bathe each serving with a fragrant spoonful.

Reprinted from Food and Wine Magazine - January 1997.