Kristan’s Roast Chicken

This dish takes some extra time, but yields moist, succulent, and very flavorful meat from the breast to the thigh.
INGREDIENTS
4-6 lb. whole chicken
3 sprigs each of thyme and rosemary
½ T. dried sage
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 cloves garlic smashed
2 T. chopped parsley (stems reserved)
3 T. olive oil
1 T. softened butter
1 lemon (1/2 sliced, and ½ juiced)
2 bay leaves
S&P to taste
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees or you may roast on a rotisserie.
Rinse and pat dry chicken. It is very important that you start with a dry chicken. Mash the minced garlic, 1 T. salt, some pepper, sage, parsley, butter and olive oil together. Loosen the skin on top of each breast. Rub the mixture all over the chicken, in the cavity, and under the skin you loosened. Stuff 1 sprig each of thyme and rosemary under the skin of each breast along with 1-2 slices of lemon. Sprinkle the cavity with some additional salt and pepper. Squeeze remaining lemon over chicken and add sprinkle with salt and pepper. No too much, remember that there was salt in your seasoning paste.
Cut the half of a lemon you juiced into halves. Stuff the lemon peel, parsley stems, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and the smashed cloves of garlic into the cavity of the chicken. (if I have the small cloves left from the interior of a head of garlic, I just cut the whole thing in half, lengthwise, and use that. No need to peel)
Tie the legs together and tuck wings under. You may roast without turning, but for very evenly cooked, juicy chicken put the chicken on a V shaped rack in a roasting pan on its side. (leg down) Roast for 25 minutes for 4 lbs. with an additional 4 minutes for every additional lb. Turn the chicken on its other side and repeat. Turn breast side up and roast for an additional 20-30 minutes or until the juices run clear and the thigh meat is 175 degrees. Let rest for 20 minutes. Carve and enjoy. Use drippings for a quick pan gravy.