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Ingredients

1 nice plump chicken (~ 4 pounds would be a good size. )
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 lemon
3-4 garlic cloves
salt & pepper
1 large yellow onion
Butter

preheat oven to 425

Step 1) after rinsing the chicken inside and out with cold running water, dry with paper towels; optional to salt the inside (I do this just to add to the flavor); then to assure even cooking let stand at room temp for half an hour.

Step 2) place 1/2 inch slices of onion in the bottom of you roasting pan, making a “bed” for the bird; I add a little water to the bottom of the pan as well, just to give some moisture right from the start

Step 3) roll the lemon back & forth, pierce it’s surface all over with fork; put it, garlic cloves & thyme sprigs in cavity.

Step 4) place chicken on bed of onions, tie legs together, I also put tie around the body to hold the wings in close; then bath the bird in softened butter, maybe 2 Tbsp worth (I warm it on the stove and just pour it over, making sure it gets into all cracks & crevices); then salt and pepper the surface

Step 5) bake – Martha says about an hour & 1/2 – I usually go at least 2 hours since I don’t use a meat thermometer. I might cover with foil for the last 1/2 hour if it’s getting overly brown – sometimes I’ll flip the bird for the last half hour; if you have meat thermometer it should read 180 in the deepest part of the breast/190 in the deepest part of the thigh; juices should run clear when chicken is pierced with fork.

Step 6) let chicken sit for 15 minutes before carving. You can strain the onions out of the juice in the bottom of the pan and with thickening make a gravy or just put juice & onions out – either way it’s great over everything you’re serving.

Note from Liza:  Grandpa liked this so much he wasn’t sure what he had ate that he liked so much!