This chicken is herb seasoned and baked in a marinade. These ingredients give the chicken a very dark color but the taste is simply amazing and you will not believe how good it smells while it is baking! Succulent is the word my husband uses to describe it and he requests it quite often. My four children love it too and I have to bake two chickens each time I make it. They leave nothing but the bones! One try and it will become one of your favorites too.
05Coat the top and sides of the chicken very well with the poultry seasoning. Next, season with the salt, pepper, basil and garlic powder. Put the bay leaves inside the cavity of the chicken.
06Place chicken uncovered on center rack of oven. Bake for 30 minutes then baste the chicken with the pan juices. Bake for another 30 minutes.
07Remove the chicken from the oven at the one hour mark and turn the chicken over in the pan. Baste the exposed underside with the pan juices and then season well with poultry seasoning, and a little sprinkle each of pepper and basil. Put the chicken back into the oven and bake for another 30 minutes. Again take out the chicken and turn it over. Depending on your oven and the exact size of your chicken it may take 15-30 minutes more for it to be done.
08Check for doneness at the thigh joint. No blood or redness means it is done. Do not be concerned with the dark color of the chicken at any point. It is the herbs and marinade that give it the dark color and it will not taste burned.
09As you serve the chicken dredge each piece in the pan juices or spoon a little of it over the piece.