Fokhagymás Sült Csirke (Hungarian Garlic Roast Chicken)

Preheat your oven to 350°F. This is the proper temperature - not too hot like the Americans like to blast everything.

Rinse the chicken under cold water, drain thoroughly, and pat completely dry with paper towels. A wet chicken will never brown properly.

In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the rosemary, sage, and thyme until well combined. This herb butter is what makes the skin golden and fragrant.

Place chicken in a roasting pan and rub the seasoned butter all over the skin and into the cavity. Don't be shy - use your hands and really work it in.

Season generously with salt and pepper, inside and out. My husband could eat twice this amount of seasoning, but this is enough for normal people.

Scatter the 20 whole garlic cloves around the chicken in the pan. Yes, 20 - they become sweet and mellow when roasted, nothing like raw garlic.

Pour the lemon juice into the chicken cavity. This adds brightness and helps keep the meat moist.

Add the water to the bottom of the roasting pan - not on the chicken, just in the pan to create steam.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and roast for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the juices run clear when you pierce the thigh. (A proper meat thermometer should read 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh)

Remove the foil and continue roasting for 15 minutes more to brown and crisp the skin. Let rest 10 minutes before carving.