Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
• Remove and discard the giblets and neck from the chicken cavity. Rinse the chicken under cold running water and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Trim any excess fat.
• Starting at the neck cavity, gently slide your fingers between the skin and the meat to loosen the skin over the breast and drumsticks, creating pockets.
• In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 4 medium garlic cloves (crushed). Mix to form an herb-garlic paste.
• Rub about half of the herb-garlic mixture underneath the loosened skin, spreading it over the breast and drumstick meat. Rub the remaining mixture over the outside of the breast.
• Tuck the wing tips under the back of the chicken so they do not burn.
• Place the chicken breast side up on a broiler pan or a rimmed baking sheet. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of a thigh without touching bone.
• Brush the chicken all over with ½ cup lemon curd. Arrange the 3 large lemon wedges around the chicken in the pan.
• Roast the chicken at 450°F for 30 minutes.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue roasting until the thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F (74°C). For a 3½-pound chicken this will be about 60 more minutes, but rely on the thermometer. If the skin is browning too quickly, loosely tent the chicken with foil.
• Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Loosely cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.
• Carve the chicken and serve with the roasted lemon wedges.