Honey Roast Chicken

I have to be honest with you, roasting a whole chicken scares me, almost as much as cooking a turkey...There are so many things that can go wrong! Overcooking, undercooking, dry meat, and on and on....That being said, I attempted this recipe and actually came out with a moist, perfectly cooked bird. It was amazingly delicious! I served it with roasted veggies and everyone was licking their fingers clean!

Honey Roast Chicken

(from Cook's Country)

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 t. paprika

2 whole chickens (3 1/2 to 4 lbs each), giblets discarded

1 t. cornstarch

1 c. plus 1 T water

1/2 c. honey

5 T cider vinegar

1 c. chicken broth

1 t. minced, fresh thyme

2 T unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled

Prep chicken:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine 1 T salt, 2 t pepper, and paprika in a small bowl. Pat chickens dry with paper towels. gently loosen the skin of the chicken from the meat by sliding your fingers underneath between the meat and the skin. Rub the spice mixture under the skin andaa then over the outside of each chicken. Tuck the wings behind the back, and tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

Make Glaze:

Stir cornstarch and 1 T water together in a bowl until no lumps remain; set aside. Bring honey and 4 T vinegar to simmer in saucepan over medium high heat. cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 1/2 c, 3-5 minutes. Slowly wisk cornstarch mixture into glaze. Return to simmer and cook 1 more minute.

Roast chicken:

Arrange chicken, breast side down on a V rack set inside a roasting pan. Roast until just golden, about 35 minutes. Remove chickens from oven and using a wad of paper towels, flip to breast side up. Raise oven temp to 450 degrees. Pour 1 c of water and broth into roasting pan. Return chickens to oven and roast until meat thermometer registers 165-170 degrees, about 30-40 minutes. Brush chickens evenly with thick layer of honey glaze and continue to cook until glaze is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer chickens to a cutting board, brush with remaining glaze and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Make sauce:

Meanwhile, pour pan juices and any accumulateda chicken juices into a saucepan; skim fat. Stir in thyme, bring to a simmer, and cook until sauce is slighly thickenedaa anda reduced to 1 cup, about 1o minutes. Off heat, wisk in butter and remaining vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Carve chicken and serve, passing sauce at table.