Savory Ranch Roasted Whole Chicken - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 chicken, 5-6lbs whole
1 (4 ounce) package dry ranch dressing mix, buttermilk
1 (4 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
1 -3 tablespoon paprika
4 -6 tablespoons butter, softened
4 -6 fresh garlic cloves, whole

Preparation

pour the ranch dressing mix, onion soup mix and Paprika in a baggie and give it a good shake.
Take about a Tablespoon of the mixture and smush it into 2-3T of the butter and set aside. To soften the butter microwave it for 10-12 seconds. Save at least half the butter without seasonimg.
This will take about 2 minutes. Very carefully pat the Chicken dry with paper towel, then slowly separate the skin from the breast and top of drumsticks. Don't use anything but your fingers. Start at the breast cavity and slowly work your fingers between the skin and breast. Do not tear the skin at all costs! Once you have it loosened from the meat, take the softened, seasoned butter mixture and gently push it up under the skin, especially on the top of the breast and drumsticks. It will melt down into the breast as it cooks.
Make sure you have patted the Chicken completely dry (or the butter won't stick) rub some of the spices into the skin, then take half the remaining butter and rub over the whole Chicken.
Take the remaining spice mix and sprinkle over the whole Chicken, starting at the back, the flip and do the breast. Take the wing tips and bend them back behind the wing to prevent the wing tip from burning, and to keep the Chicken from rolling, and put uncovered in 350 degree oven.
cook at 350 for 30 minutes.
Reduce temp to 250 degrees. Drain whatever juice has accumulated and set aside. Cover the breast loosely with foil -once the skin has become light golden and crisp. (This keeps the spices from burning, especially the onions and allows the skin to keep the breast from drying out.) At this time you should carve the drumstick off the Chicken right at the joint (it will not be done) and put them on the bottom of the pan. This allows the dark meat to cook more efficiently, and keeps the skin nice and crisp all the way along the sides of the breast. For the best flavor, be careful to make sure the skin over the top of the Chicken is not disturbed.
Continue to cook the chicken at 250 until you begin to smell it, probably and hour. Don't rush it, this is the only really tricky part. To test doneness take a fork, insert it INSIDE the breast cavity poke the thigh. Do not poke the skin. If it's done it will drain clear juice, and it will be really obvious if the dark meat isn't ready. Leave it in until you are sure the dark meat is done. As long as you have put foil over the breast and left the rest uncovered you will not burn or overcook the breast.
Once it's done immediately remove the foil and drain the juices. This will be the most flavorful drippings you will ever taste. Save it for later, make a gravy or pour it over your dogs food if nothing else!
dont let the chicken sit in juices, Remove from the oven it tastes much better cold than warm and slimy. The skin will remain crisp until the Chicken is cold. It should still be chewy until you refrigerate it though.
Put the garlic cloves and 1T butter inside the breast cavity. Don't be tempted to put the cloves under the skin, it somehow affects the ability to crisp the skin and therefore causes the breast to dry out.