Roasted Chicken with Herb Butter

I love this recipe for so many reasons.  One - it's quick (relative to the time it takes to make some of my other "epic mealtime" recipes).  Two - Ohmygoditsdelicious.  I think that's really all the reasons you need.  I originally found this recipe on Paleo Comfort Foods.  The only special equipment you'll need is a large oven-proof skillet (big enough to fit a butterflied whole chicken, skin-side down).  The best part is, of course, the skin.  The herbs in the butter help crisp up the skin and infuse it with all their amazing flavors.  I'd say the whole process - prep and cook time - takes about an hour.  I served this with some of my favorite Spinach and Strawberry Salad but it will go great with just about any veggie you can think of.

Look at that awesomely crispy, golden brown skin

Special Equipment:
12 inch (stainless steel) oven-proof skillet

Ingredients:
1 3-4 lb. chicken, butterflied* (I had the butcher butterfly it for me since I don't own kitchen shears)
1/4 cup basil, finely chopped
1 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped
3/4 cup scallions
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 tbsp clarified butter/ghee, softened
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp salt

*to "butterfly" a chicken means to remove the spine entirely

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Combine basil, rosemary, scallions, garlic, salt and butter (set aside 1-2 tbsp for serving).
3. Loosen the skin of the chicken by running your finger between the skin and the meat.  Score* the legs and thighs with a knife.
4. Put 1 tbsp. of herb butter under the skin of each chicken breast.
5. Add the coconut oil to an oven-proof skillet on medium heat. Add the chicken (skin-side down).  Cook for 8-10 minutes.
6. Move the skillet directly to the oven for 25 minutes.  Flip the chicken over and coat with the rest of the herb butter (not the 2 tbsp for serving).
7. Cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes more or until the breasts reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees and the thighs 175 degrees.
8. Rest** the chicken for 10-20 minutes before serving.

*You "score" the meat by making a shallow cut with your knife.  This allows the fat to drain from the meat while cooking.
**Take the chicken off the heat and put a lid on the pan, or tent a large piece of foil over the pan.

This recipe is definitely "Mel-proof" (my version of idiot-proof).  Last night I put the chicken on the stove skin-side down but was convinced that the skin had to be nice and crisp BEFORE going in the oven.  So I left it on the stove for about 20 minutes instead of 10 and proceeded to flip the chicken over and cover it with the rest of the herb butter before I realized that I had skipped a step.  I removed the newly-added herb butter, flipped the chicken back onto it's skin-side and put the pan in the oven, trying to forget the mistake ever happened.  The chicken still cooked up perfectly.  The only disappointment was that my premature flipping of the bird (hehe) made a mess of the skin, ruining the crispiness of it.  The skin still tasted delicious, as did the rest of the chicken.  It was still perfectly moist and flavorful so I really have no complaints about the whole episode.  Oh, and I forgot to score the legs and thighs.

:P