There are a lot of Roast Chicken recipes out there, and many of them claim to be the “perfect roast chicken.” America’s Test Kitchen, Ina Garten, and Martha Stewart recipes all taste amazing. I don’t know if you would call this the best recipe, but you can’t go wrong with the flavor of bacon and a one-pan dinner. I have very fond memories of making this with my friend Patti Tambe in the fall of 2008.

We would prepare the chicken by stuffing it with thyme, lemon, and garlic. Then tie the legs to the body, stick it into the oven, and go for a 45-minute walk. Halfway through, I would put the walk on pause, return to the condo so I could rotate the chicken to the front of the oven and then take a second walk. By the time we had finished our workout, the aroma had filled the house, and we were ready to eat! Note: It terrifies my daughter Annie and my friend Mimi to leave anything in the oven unsupervised. I guess I just like to live on the wild side.

Tyler Florence – Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 1  Whole chicken (3 lb)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ Onion, quartered
• 1 Lemon, cut into four pieces
• 6 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 6 Sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 ½ T Extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• ½ lb Sliced bacon, cut in 1/2
• 3 lb Whole cremini mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp towel
• Salt and Pepper

Directions

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. 
• Season the cavity with salt and pepper.
• In a large bowl, combine the onion, lemon, garlic, half the thyme, and 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper and mix well. 
• Stuff the bird with the mixture. 
• Using two pieces of kitchen twine (each piece is about three feet long), tie up the chicken: Tuck the wing tips between the wings and the body. Put the midpoint of the twine under the chicken, bring the ends up and around the wings, and pull them tight against the body. Bring the ends of the twine up underneath the legs, wrap the string around them, pull the legs together, and tie them tightly. 
• Place the chicken, breast side up, in a roasting pan, and layer the strips of bacon up the breast until covered. Scatter over the remaining thyme, drizzle over some more olive oil, and season everything with salt and pepper.
• Roast the chicken for 1 hour and 20 minutes; arrange the mushrooms around the chicken 50 minutes after roasting. 
• Baste with the pan juices every 20 minutes. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (the legs should wiggle easily in their sockets).
• Remove the chicken from the pan, cover with foil, and let stand for 10 minutes to rest. Serve the chicken with the roasted mushrooms and pan juices.