Preheat your oven to 225C/437F.
To prepare the compound butter, finely mince the fresh herbs (you may sub with dried variety, use about 1 tsp ea). Combine the garlic, fresh minced herbs, paprika if using, salt and pepper, along with the lemon zest + juice. Set aside. In the meantime, let the chicken rest out of the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Using a wide kitchen spoon or soft spatula, gently separate the skin from under the breast and thighs, starting at the area just above the cavity. The skin can withstand some pressure but take care not to use excessive force in order to keep the skin intact and prevent tearing. Gently glide the spoon or spatula down to separate the skin around the drumsticks & thighs as well.
Take about ¼ of the compound butter and place it below the skin of the bird, on either the left or right hand side. Evenly spread the compound butter over the breast by massaging the skin. Repeat on the other side of the breast with another ¼ of the butter mixture. Take the remaining compound butter and evenly spread into the thigh and drumstick area.
Set the chicken over a wire rack in a relatively deep baking dish (not too shallow otherwise the pan juices will dry out), along with half a head of garlic, one carrot split lengthwise, an onion horizontally sliced in thick chunks, along with 2 sprigs of rosemary. Add about a cup / 250ml of white wine, sub chicken stock (I used prosecco because that’s just what I had on hand).
Roast the chicken for 10-15 minutes to get a nice golden hue on the skin, then turn the temperature down to 180C/356F and roast for another 15 minutes before basting with the pan juices. If the liquid appears to be evaporating or drying out, you can deglaze with some good quality chicken stock or water.
Baste the bird 2 more times at half an hour intervals, and roast the chicken for 90 minutes in total. The internal temperature must reach a minimum of 74C, or until juices run clear around the thighs.
After 90 minutes, rest the chicken for 10 minutes to allow the internal juices to redistribute back into the meat, yielding tender and flavourful chicken. Slicing immediately after will cause the juices to escape, resulting in drier meat.
