Roasting Chicken With Olives And Fresh Thyme - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 - 3 1/2 lbs whole roasting chickens
1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup olives, preferably a mix of kalamata and spicy green or 1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375\u00b0F.
Remove giblets from body cavity of chicken. Discard or save for stock. In a small bowl, using a fork, mash butter with thyme. Rub mixture all over chicken skin. Place chicken in a small roasting pan or in bottom of a broiling pan. Slowly pour wine over chicken.
Roast uncovered, in center of 375F oven for 30 minutes. Remove pan and baste chicken wet pan juices. Stir olives into juices and return to oven.
Roast uncovered until leg moves easily or an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of the thigh reaches 160F, from 30-45 minutes. Baste occasionally.
Remove chicken to a cutting board. Loosely cover with foil and let stand for 5 minutes before carving. Skim any visible fat from pan juices, then spoon juices and olives over individual servings of chicken.