Roast Chicken and Potatoes with Lemon and Rosemary

• ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 tablespoon minced parsley
• 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
• 1 lemon
• 1 salted anchovy, soaked in water, fins and bones removed or 2 anchovy filets in oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (3 to 3 1/2) pound chicken
• Parsley stems
• Rosemary stem
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup chicken stock or water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch mixed with 1 tablespoon of water, optional

To Serve

• Roasted Potatoes (recipe follows)
• Fried rosemary leaves optional (see note below)
• Rosemary sprigs, optional
• Lemon, cut into thick wedges, optional

To Make the Herb Butter

1. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and shallots and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until translucent and tender, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Cut the remaining butter into pieces and put into a small bowl with the parsley and rosemary. Using a microplane, zest the lemon into the butter, then using a fork, mash everything together. Add the cooked garlic-shallot and the anchovy and mash again until the butter is combined. Season with salt and pepper. Leave butter at room temperature. You can also make the butter ahead and store it wrapped in the refrigerator for up to one month. Bring it to room temperature before using.

To Prepare and Roast the Chicken

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Set the bird on a board, breast side up. Starting at the tip of the breast use your fingers to separate the skin from the meat, taking care not to rip the skin. Slip a few tablespoons of herb butter on either side of the breastbone. Massage the butter, pushing it towards the legs so that it covers the breast and is evenly distributed, taking care not to tear the skin. Flip the bird over and repeat this technique along the back and as far as you can to the thighs. Flip the bird back onto its back and fold the wing tips under the bird. Cut the zested lemon in half and sprinkle with salt and pepper and place inside the cavity with the parsley and bay leaf.
3. Loop the kitchen twine under the tail and tie in a knot. Bring the twine up, loop around each of the legs, bringing them together and tying a knot to secure. Season the outside generously with salt and pepper. Tuck the wings underneath. (The chicken can be prepared through trussing and refrigerated overnight, but take it out and bring to room temperature before roasting.)
4. Set a large cast iron or heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat. Place the chicken resting on one side into the hot pan. Cook until the skin is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken to the other side and cook again until golden, another 5 minutes. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
5. Carefully, because the handle will be hot, remove the skillet from the oven. Turn the chicken onto its back, baste with any drippings in the bottom of the pan. Return it to the oven and roast for another 20 minutes. Baste again and roast until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 155°F, about 20 minutes more.
6. Transfer the chicken to a platter, remove the twine and the lemon and herbs from the cavity, setting them next to the chicken. Let rest for about 15 minutes.
7. Skim the butter and chicken fat from the pan into a bowl and reserve for another use. Set the skillet with the liquid on the stove, add the chicken stock, and bring to a boil, scraping any browned bits from the bottom to deglaze the pan. Squeeze some lemon from the cavity into the sauce. Let boil for a couple minutes to thicken. You can also thicken the sauce with the cornstarch slurry at this point.
8. Arrange the roasted potatoes around the chicken and spoon the juices over the top. Sprinkle with the fried rosemary and serve.

• 2 pounds Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• Kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped rosemary

1. Set a roasting pan in the oven and preheat to 425°F.
2. In a large saucepan cover the potatoes with cold water, season with salt and the baking soda and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and toss them around to rough up the surface to help make them crispy. Put in a large bowl with the oil and toss.
3. Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven, add the potatoes, and spread them in a single later. Roast, turning occasionally until they are brown and crispy, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
4. Season the potatoes with salt, pepper and rosemary and toss well.