Chat GPT's Roast Chicken

Ingredients:
1 (4-5 pound) whole chicken
1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1 lemon, quartered
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). This high temperature will help to cook the chicken evenly and create a crispy skin. (Andre's commentary: ChatGPT nails the fact that preheating is necessary, but honestly, I'd go even higher-- 500, if your oven can get there, or whatever your highest temperature is, if not 500 F/260 C) 

Rinse the chicken inside and out and pat it dry with paper towels. Rinsing the chicken removes any bacteria, and patting it dry ensures that the seasonings and butter will stick to the skin. (DO NOT DO THIS!! Doing this has the opposite effect ChatGPT thinks it has, and will only contaminate more surfaces in your kitchen. This is a food-safety nightmare. Pat your chicken dry to remove surface moisture, yes! This step is critical to ensuring better browning and seasoning adhesion, as GPT says. But DO NOT WASH YOUR CHICKEN-- disregard that step, as a matter of food safety)

In a small bowl, mix the butter, salt, pepper, and dried thyme. This mixture will add flavor to the chicken. (Good ideas!)


Rub the mixture all over the chicken, including under the skin. Rubbing the mixture under the skin allows the flavors to penetrate the meat. (Great idea! Adding fat through that compound butter will create a really tender final product)


Stuff the lemon, onion, garlic, rosemary, and thyme inside the cavity of the chicken. This will add additional flavor to the chicken as it roasts. (Wow, it's almost like ChatGPT knows my personal recipe and copied it 😅) 


Place the chicken in a roasting pan, breast side up. Cooking the chicken breast side up helps to keep it moist and tender. (Roast it breast-side-up, yes, but be careful to avoid the opposite of what GPT said about moisture and tenderness coming true. Start the chicken in a really hot oven for about 20 minutes, and then drop the temperature to 350F/175C until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165F/75C. Keeping the temperature high the whole time drastically increases the chances that the breast will overcook)


Brush the chicken with olive oil. This will help to prevent the skin from drying out and give it a golden color. (Totally agree that this step needs to be done, yes, but not now. If you're doing this now, you're too late. This step should've been done before the chicken went in the oven, not once it's been roasting for several minutes. Keep your oven door closed while preheating, open it only to put the chicken in, and then keep the door closed again until it's time to take the chicken out.)


Roast for 1 hour, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the thigh. Cooking the chicken until it reaches this temperature ensures that it is fully cooked and safe to eat.


Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes before carving and serving. This allows the juices to redistribute, making the meat more moist and tender when carved.