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1
Let the butter and chicken stand at room temperature for 3o minutes or so.
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2
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
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3
Remove and discard any giblets, excess fat, and plastic pop-up timer, if there is one.
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4
To prevent burning, tuck the chicken's wing tips under the body.
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5
Season the cavity of the chicken, liberally, with salt and pepper.
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6
Roll the lemon back and forth on the counter to get the juices going. Pierce the entire surface of the lemon with the fork.
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7
Smash up the garlic cloves- the side of a knife does this well.
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8
Insert lemon, garlic and thyme into the cavity of the bird.
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9
Arrange the onion slices in the center of a heavy-duty roasting pan. (Arranging the onions in overlapping rows works great) Place the chicken on top with the breast side up. Tie the chicken legs together with kitchen twine.
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10
Spread the softened butter over the entire surface of the chicken. Season generously with salt and pepper.
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11
Roast the chicken until skin is crisp and the skin is a nice golden brown. The juices should run clear when the chicken is pierced with a fork- about 1 1/2 hours. The chicken will be cooked perfectly when an instant-read thermometer (inserted into the breast- then thigh) will read 165 degrees.
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12
Garnish with sprigs of thyme.
