Roast Chicken

Click here to see the scene from Game of Thrones where a bloody battle ensues over a chicken.

With a lot of the recipes I do for this blog, it’s my first time making it. This recipe, however, is something that I’ve been making for years and is a super simple way to make chicken. It’s great for a family dinner or during the holidays. Every time I make it, I learn ways to improve the recipe and it never fails to come out savory and delicious. Some people might even say it’s worth killing over.

We’re going to start by making some flavored butter. I have seen flavored butter sold at the grocery before and if you’re short on time, then that is a great option. I like to make the butter for this recipe by adding a stick and a half of unsalted butter, a touch of olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, three cloves of finely minced garlic, chopped parsley, and salt and pepper to a large bowl. Mix to combine and leave out until room temperature. Now we are going to take our chicken and rinse it off in the sink and pat dry with paper towels. You don’t want any moister on the skin of the chicken because it will prevent it from getting crispy in the oven. Place your aromatics into the cavity of the chicken. It is up to you what you use, but I like to use things I’m trying to get rid of in the fridge. Things like onion, garlic, thyme, and rosemary are all great options. Take the seasoned butter and spread on the outside and under the skin. If you’ve never seasoned a chicken underneath the skin before then click here to watch a quick tutorial. Place in a roasting tray on top of a wire rack to provide even heating. I didn’t have a roasting tray so I used a cast iron pan and laid down some carrots, onions, and potatoes. Place into a oven set to 425º F for ten minuets. Using a meat thermometer, check to see if the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165º F. Let the chicken rest so it can absorb all the juices and then it’s ready to serve.

What I love about this scene in Game of Thrones is how intense the dialog between The Hound and the Lannister solider is. Sorry to any of those out there that don’t like violent TV shows. The Hound is an intimidating character, but throughout his time with Arya, he is humanized quite a bit. During the early seasons, the audience is not exactly sure how to feel because he does some pretty awful things on the orders of King Joffrey, but after hearing his back story, it’s hard not to feel bad for The Hound. When he was young, his older brother was jealous of a toy that The Hound was playing with. His brother pressed his face against a fire, causing severe burns across his face. Ever since, The Hound is uncomfortable around fire as well as his brother. It was foreshadowed that in the final season of Game of Thrones The Hound will face off agains’t his brother. This would be amazing for several reasons. One, it would be justice for what happened to The Hound and second, The Hound’s brother is now a zombie creature with super-human strength. A victory for The Hound against his brother would be great closure for his character and I cant wait to see how it plays out.