Preheat the oven to 350°. Clean the inside of the chicken and rub with lemon juice, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add onion and herbs to the cavity. Truss chicken and place in roasting pan. A quick search will show you that trussing the chicken simply means tying the legs together on top of the bird. This step is by no means necessary but it does add to the elegance of the finished presentation.
Rub softened butter over the skin and sprinkle with salt and pepper to finish.
Bake 20 minutes per pound or until a meat-thermometer reads 180° when inserted into the fleshiest part of the thigh (not touching bone). Mrs. Fillmore says that the chicken is done when the leg moves up and down easily.
Let the chicken rest 10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
Notes
Adapted from Abigail Fillmore’s Roasted Chicken.*I added 2 more sprigs of tarragon and 3-4 sprigs of thyme. I also threw two lemon halves inside the cavity as well. Yum. More is more!