Roast Chicken w/ Brandy-Vanilla Butter

Roast Chicken w/ Brandy-Vanilla Butter

Ingredients:

4 tbsp unsalted butter, very soft

1 tbsp brandy (Christian Brothers works well)

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 3 1/2 to 4 lb chicken, patted dry with paper towels

Directions:
preheat oven to 400 degrees (or metric equivalent)

In a medium sized bowl whisk together butter, brandy, vanilla extract, sugar, 1/2 tsp sea salt, & 1/2 tsp black pepper until you form a smooth, supple compound butter. In the beginning it will seem like the butter mix is curdling but keep whisking until the ingredients submit to your whisking and form a well mixed compound butter.

Season the inside of the cavity with the remaining salt and pepper. Loosen the skin at the neck and carefully slide your fingers underneath, slowly lifting the skin from the meat. Divide the butter into fourths and take 1/4 of the compound butter and reach under the skin smearing the butter all over the meat. Be generous and reach down as far as you can, trying to get all the way down to the thighs.

Take another fourth of the butter and repeat the process on the outside of the skin, top and bottom, repeating until your fourth of butter is gone. (Think hot oil massage!)

Grab another section of butter and rub all over the inside of the cavity until the butter is gone. Work it into every section of the cavity, including the front and rear entrances. Lube it up good! 

Take remaining butter and roll in parchment paper or plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator.

Place the chicken on a baking or roasting rack set over a baking dish or roasting pan. Roast for one hour. Remove from oven and rub the outside of the chicken with the remaining butter until the butter is gone and the bird is dripping. Return to oven for fifteen minutes.

Remove from oven and set on a cutting board for ten minutes to allow the juices to return to the chicken then carve and enjoy.