Tasty Recipes from Recipe Wizards

Prep time: 35 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Serves 4

This recipe, by the editors of Cook's Illustrated, is from "The Complete Book of Chicken: Turkey, Game Hen, Duck, Goose, Squab and Pheasant."

Note: The prep time does not include the 10-minute rest time after chicken is roasted.

INGREDIENTS

Oil for rack

1 whole chicken (about 3½ pounds), giblets removed, chicken rinsed and patted dry with paper towels

2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

3 tablespoons butter, softened, divided use

Salt and pepper

3 fresh thyme sprigs

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

Place a shallow roasting pan in the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil the rack.

Rub the chicken with the garlic cloves. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Mash the remaining 2 tablespoons butter with a fork. Gently loosen the skin covering the breast. Work the softened butter under the skin so it covers the breast meat. Brush the chicken with the melted butter and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place the thyme springs in the cavity.

Remove the heated pan from the oven and set the oiled rack in it. Place the chicken on the rack, wing side up. Roast 20 minutes, then rotate the chicken, wing side up. Roast another 20 minutes.

While the chicken is roasting, combine the nuts, maple syrup and vinegar in a small bowl.

When the chicken has been roasting a total of 40 minutes, rotate it again, breast side up. Spoon half of the glaze over the chicken. Roast for 15 minutes and brush with the rest of the glaze. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the breast registers 160 degrees and in the thigh registers between 165 and 170 degrees, 10 to 16 minutes longer, basting once with the pan juices.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, let rest 10 minutes. Carve and serve.

Per serving: 822 cal.; 55 g pro.; 20 g carb.; 57 g fat (18 sat., 22 monounsat., 14 polyunsat., 3 other); 236 mg chol.; 493 mg sod.; 0 g fiber; 16 g sugar; 63 percent calories from fat.

Tags: Breast Meat, Chicken Turkey, Chicken Wing, Cup Maple Syrup, Garlic Cloves, Instant Read Thermometer, Maple Walnut, Mg Chol, Minute Rest, Pan Juices, Paper Towels, Red Wine Vinegar, Rest Time, Salt And Pepper, Shallow Roasting Pan, Softened Butter, Squab, Thyme Sprigs, Turkey Game, Whole Chicken