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1
Prepare a charcoal grill for indirect cooking at medium heat, with plenty of coals piled to one side of the grill or with a ceramic grill plate between the coals below and the cooking area above. Set up the chicken roaster with 6 oz. (1/2 can full) of water, fruit juice, beer or wine. Place on a pan for transport to the grill later.
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2
Dry the chicken thoroughly with paper towels, inside and out.
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3
With a knife, remove any excess skin around the cavity (to help the chicken fit onto the roaster). If you don'TMt have a roaster which holds a can, skip this step and stuff the excess skin into the cavity right before sitting the bird on your roaster to help hold in the lemons and herbs.
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4
Work your fingers under the breast-side skin, loosening the skin over the breast and all the way down to the thighs.
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5
Liberally salt and pepper the chicken outside as well as under the skin, and inside the cavity.
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6
Finely chop some of your herbs and rub them on the breast meat under the skin.
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7
Tuck pieces of butter under the skin around the neck of the chicken, so that when the chicken is upright on the roaster and the butter melts it will run down the breast meat and into the thighs. (Sometimes the chicken skin may rip during this or previous steps; I just pin it back together with a toothpick or two.)
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8
Stuff the cavity with 3-4 lemon quarters and whole herbs, leaving room for the chicken to sit atop the roaster.
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9
Place the chicken on the roaster, inserting one or two more lemon pieces in the neck opening to seal it as well as possible. I squeeze these last lemon wedges over the chicken as well.
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10
Roast to 165 degrees at medium heat -- I usually cook at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, using a probe thermometer inserted in the deepest part of the thigh to tell me the chicken is done.
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11
Rest chicken for 10-15 minutes, remove from roaster, carve and serve.
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12
Remember, the drippings you will collect as the chicken rests and as you carve it are pretty much salt, chicken jus, fat and butter. It makes an excellent sauce.
