Before there was Julia Child there was MFK Fisher. Don't worry, I didn't know this either until I was educated by Uncle Alan with two vintage books: one French cookbook (right) and a biography on the Dame (photo TK). As I was perusing the crinkled pages of the French cookbook, I was amazed to see a Roasted Chicken recipe that was co-written by Julia Child. I first made this dish in late 2009 and it's been my favorite roasted chicken recipe ever since. Essentially, you make a butter lemon paste and dress the chicken inside and out. You start roasting the chicken on each side for 10 minutes and then return it to its back. You add a carrot and onion and roast the chicken for about an hour while basting every 10 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked, you make a gravy with the juices by adding chicken broth and reducing it down. It's really lovely and juicy.

Most recently, I made it with some fresh Rosemary a lemon half in the cavity. I served it with roasted brussel sprouts and Balthazar baguette (smeared with salted Icelandic butter).