– Chicken (1.8-2 kg or about 4-4.5 lbs)
– 1 large lemon
– 8 slices of prosciutto (or Parma ham)
– 3-4 cloves of garlic
– 100 g (about 7 tablespoons) of softened butter
– 0.5-1 tablespoon of thyme
– Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Start by washing and drying the chicken inside and out, then rub it with salt and pepper.
Gently lift the skin on the chicken breast with your fingers to create a pocket.
Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the lemon.
Finely chop the lemon zest and the prosciutto.
In a bowl, mix together the lemon zest, prosciutto, minced garlic, thyme, and softened butter.
Take about two-thirds of this mixture and form it into a ball, then distribute it evenly in the pocket you created under the chicken skin.
Massage this area to ensure the butter spreads evenly across the meat beneath the skin.
Make incisions in the chicken thighs and tuck the remaining butter mixture into those cuts.
Cut the peeled lemon in half and place it inside the chicken cavity.
Tie the legs together and tuck the wings under the body.
Place the chicken in a preheated oven at 200°C (about 400°F) for 1 hour and 15 minutes.