ROAST CHICKEN WITH MAPLE BUTTER AND ROSEMARY RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Pat the chicken dry and season it well with salt and pepper, both inside and out. Place the chicken breast-side up in a 10-inch cast-iron or ovenproof skillet and stuff the rosemary sprigs into the bird's cavity.
• In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the chopped rosemary and the maple syrup, and cook together until the rosemary is fragrant and the mixture has thickened slightly, about 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon all of the mixture over the chicken, making sure it is evenly covered. A decent amount will end up on the bottom of the pan, and that’s O.K.
• Roast the chicken, basting with the pan juices every 15 to 20 minutes or so, until the chicken is glossy and golden brown and registers 165 degrees with an instant thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, about 55 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and baste an additional time, if desired. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before carving. Whisk remaining juice and pass at the table.

Steps:

• Finely grate 1 teaspoon zest from the lemon and place it in a small bowl. (Save the zested lemon for the drippings.) Stir in 2 teaspoons salt, pepper, chopped rosemary and red-pepper flakes, if using. Season the chicken inside and out with salt mixture. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes or refrigerate uncovered for up to overnight.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place chicken, breast-side up, in a large skillet, sheet pan or roasting pan. Stuff cavity of chicken with rosemary sprigs. Drizzle breast with a little olive oil.
• Roast chicken for 30 minutes. Sprinkle chicken all over with Parmesan, then continue roasting until bird’s juices run clear when skin is pierced with a knife and the skin is golden, 25 to 30 minutes longer.
• Let chicken rest for 10 minutes. Squeeze juice from the zested lemon, to taste, into the pan drippings and season with more salt and red-pepper flakes if you like. Carve and serve with drippings spooned over the meat.