Roast Chicken with Herbed Butter

Ingredients
5 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1 teaspoon thyme, dried
1 teaspoon rosemary, dried and crushed
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 teaspoons flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 great big, roasting chicken, rinsed, patted dry
3 medium onions, peeled and quartered
14 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup chicken broth (canned or otherwise)

Directions

1. Mix butter, chopped herbs, fennel seeds and salt and pepper in bowl, blending well.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Starting at the neck end, slide fingers under skin of breast and upper part of legs, loosening the chicken's skin.
4. Spread 3 tablespoons of the herb butter under the skin of the breast and of the upper leg meat.
5. Place chicken on rack in large roasting pan.
6. Put the onions around your buttered bird.
7. Season liberally with salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper.
8. Roast chicken 30 minutes.
9. Add garlic cloves to pan and brush the chicken with some of the reserved herb butter.
10. Roast until the chicken is golden brown and a meat thermometer reaches 180 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh.
11. If the bird is getting too browned, flip the bird, which also helps the juices run to the breasts, keeping it juicer.
12. When the chicken is finished, remove from the pan and set on a plate.
13. Set the roasting pan over medium-high heat and add broth and wine; bring to simmer, scraping up browned bits.
14. Remove any visible fat with a spoon.
15. Pour juices into medium saucepan.
16. Stir reserved 1 tablespoon herb butter and flour in small bowl to smooth paste.
17. Bring pan juices to a simmer; and whisk in the butter-flour paste.
18. Simmer sauce until slightly thickened, whisking almost constantly, about 4 minutes.
19. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper: Serve with sauce.