Happy Roast Chicken

This recipe is written for the oven but I have done some chicken "roasting" in the crock pot.  I just place the whole chicken on tin foil that is balled up in the bottom of the crock pot.  The chicken doesn't get as brown as it would in the oven but it tastes like roasted chicken.  Try it!

1/2 C. dry white wine
2 lemons, cut in half
6 large cloves garlic
1 whole chicken (approx. 4lbs.)
1 1/2 tsp. cold butter
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Pour the wine into a 10 inch cast iron skillet, set aside.

Place the lemon halves and garlic cloves into the cavity of the chicken.  Slide half of the butter underneath the skin of each breast.  Rub the chicken all over with Dijon mustard, then season to taste with salt and pepper.  Place into cast iron skillet.

Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 1 hour more..  An instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees.  Remove the chicken from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 15 minutes before slicing.