- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 (4 pound) whole chicken
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 carrots, cut in chunks
- paprika to taste
- 8 slices bacon
- 2 cups beef broth
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Rub butter over the entire chicken. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Place the carrots inside the cavity, and tie the legs together. Place the chicken breast side up in a roasting pan. Lay bacon strips across the top of the chicken, and secure with toothpicks. Sprinkle with paprika. Pour the beef broth into the roasting pan – do not pour over the bacon.
- Roast for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, the reduce the heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Baste with some of the broth. Continue to roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 180 degrees F (82 degrees C) when taken in the thickest part of the thigh. Baste every 15 minutes with the broth.
- Remove the bacon and discard toothpicks. Roast the chicken for 15 more minutes to brown the skin. Transfer to a serving platter, and remove the ties. You may eat the bacon, but it is best to discard the carrots.