Saffron Honey-Roasted Chicken a la Cat Cora

I just had five gum grafts last Friday. Not fun, and my mouth is in sad shape. But the cooking must go on, as does the eating...albeit in very small, very tiny bites. This chicken had been on my list for a while, but I hadn't gotten around to making it. And it's been so warm here that I didn't want to turn on the oven. But we had two breaks in the summer heat with 60-degree days filled with glorious rain, so the oven came on last night to make this dish. This is from one of my Cat Cora cookbooks, and it is so simple to make, and wonderfully delicious to eat. We paired ours with roasted sweet potatoes and peas. Delightful.

Saffron Honey-Roasted Chicken
Ingredients:
3 lbs chicken
4 tbs unsalted butter
kosher salt
1/4 cup honey
2 tbs water
1/2 tsp saffron threads

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.

3. Place chicken breast side up on a rack in a roasting dish. Melt the butter in a pan, and then drizzle some of the butter on the chicken rubbing it in with the sea salt all over the outside of the chicken. Roast the chicken breast side up for 20 minutes. Then flip the chicken over and roast for 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, pour the honey and water into the remaining butter in the saucepan. Add the saffron and cook over low heat until thin enough in consistency to brush over the chicken. With a pastry brush, brush the honey mixture over the chicken.

5. Roast the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. This was about 25 more minutes for me, but it could be even longer depending on the size of your bird. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.