Simple Roast Chicken

Sometimes it feels like too much trouble to roast a whole chicken and chicken parts seem like a better choice. But I love leftovers and instead of legs and thighs, a whole bird made the most sense this time around. I was originally going with the ultra simple, salt and pepper approach, but then added a little flavor with butter, garlic, horseradish. 

After washing the bird with cold water and patting it dry, I seasoned it with salt and pepper. I took a good knob of room temperature butter (1 to 2 tablespoons maybe), mixed it with a teaspoon each of crushed garlic and horseradish, and spread the mixture all over the bird. I roasted it for about 45 minutes at 400 degrees. It turned out really moist, tender, and delicious with crispy skin.


Wine Pairing
Primitivo Quiles 2008 Alicante Cono 4 de Pura Cepa
This is a joven bottling which basically means young wine so it sees little or no time in oak and should be fresh and fruity. This is a fantastic, inexpensive wine. For $10.99, it has depth, character, rusticity. I'll keep on coming back to this wine as long as it is available. The fatty, juicy bits of the chicken were perfect with the wine.