Dinner Party Dishes
Photography by Rich Smith
These local ladies are serving up flavor with crowd-pleasing classics and show-stopping favorites. Read on to get inspiration for your next dinner party menu.
Shannon Spotts’ Lemon and Herb Spring Roasted Chicken
Shannon Spotts’ Lemon and Herb Spring Roasted Chicken is a vibrant, aromatic dish that serves about four. A whole chicken is expertly prepared by carefully separating the skin to slide in a fragrant herb butter mixture made with rosemary, thyme, basil, garlic, and lemon zest. Roasted initially at a high temperature to seal in the juices, then finished at a lower heat for even cooking, the chicken is basted with its own buttery drippings and finished with a sprinkle of coarse salt. The result is a succulent, flavor-packed centerpiece perfect for a springtime meal.
Ingredients
- 1-2 sprigs rosemary
- 6 sprigs thyme
- 15 large basil leaves
- 1 stick ½ cup salted butter, softened
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 5-7 lb. whole chicken, thawed
- Coarse salt to taste
Instructions
- For the Lemon Herb Butter: Prepare the herbs by removing the rosemary and thyme leaves from the sticks and trimming the basil leaves from the stalks. Place the herbs in a food processor together and chop until small and uniform in size. Mix the chopped herbs into the softened butter, along with the minced garlic and lemon zest. Once combined, transfer the herb butter into a piping bag (or a zipper bag with a small cut in the corner). Set aside.
- For the Chicken: Preheat oven to 425°. Remove the innards of the chicken and pat the skin dry with a paper towel. Then, breast side up, using your hand or the back of a wooden spoon, gently separate the skin of the chicken from the breast. Be mindful not to puncture holes in the skin. Transfer the chicken, breast side up, onto a wire rack in a Dutch oven or roasting pan. Tuck the wings behind the body of the chicken.
- Pipe the herb butter under the skin, saving just enough butter to rub a thin layer over top of the skin. Next, tie the legs of the chicken together with cooking twine. Finish with a light sprinkle of coarse salt.
- Place the chicken, uncovered, into the oven. Roast at 425° for the first 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350° for the remaining time. Roast the chicken for approximately 20 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 165° at the center of the thickest part of the breast.
- Use a baster to drizzle the buttery drippings over top of the chicken. Let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Shannon Spotts
“The scent of fresh herbs and lemon filling your kitchen will earn you top host, even before your guests sit down to dine on this fresh and savory chicken. The presentation of a whole roasted chicken is so impressive and feels abundantly welcoming. I adore how dinner brings people together. It is more than cooking or hosting … it’s a love language.”