Herb Roasted Chicken

(pictured here is Plain Herb Roasted Chicken and the variation is below the lemon recipe)

Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken
(there is another 2 variations at the bottom for different flavors with this chicken)

1 chicken (about 2 1/2 to 3 lb whole chicken)
1/2 stick margarine or butter, softened
2 Tbsp coarse salt
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp poultry seasoning or sage
1/4 cup water with 1 Tbsp lemon juice added
1 lemon cut into slices

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rub the chicken with coarse salt (including inside the cavity).

Combine the butter, garlic, parsley, thyme, lemon pepper, poultry seasoning or sage until creamy. Spread all over chicken including under the skin on the breast. Put into baking dish. Put the water with lemon juice in the bottom of the baking dish to help keep chicken moist while cooking and for basting later in cooking. Slice lemon and place slices randomly on chicken and inside the cavity.

Put in preheated oven for 2 hours, basting after the first hour. Tent the chicken so the top doesn't brown too quickly. After the 2 hours, increase the temperature to 400 degrees and bake for another 40 minutes, basting every 10 minutes until meat thermometer inserted in breast comes to 165 degrees for an internal temperature.

Variations:
1. Plain Herb Roasted Chicken (like in the picture since my husband doesn't like lemon like I do, I fix the lemon when he is not home): Just substitute black pepper for lemon pepper and omit the lemon juice from the water, and the lemon slices.
2. Apple Herb Roasted Chicken: Substitute black pepper for the lemon pepper; substitute apple juice for the lemon juice, and place apple slices around the chicken. (Granny Smith apples would be my apple of choice for this way to make this chicken because the sweet and tart of the apple goes well with the savory herbs)