Meat, potatoes, and butter are what some might consider the trinity of Irish cuisine and all three ingredients are the stars of this dish.

If you spend more money and buy an organic, free range chicken, the added expense will pay off in the taste and juiciness of the bird once it is roasted. Stuffing the cavity with lemon and herbs is a simple, quick trick to boost flavor.

If you have leftover potatoes, be sure to reheat them with a dash of milk to breathe new life into them the following day.

Makes 5 to 6 servings

Preheat oven to 450˚ F. Remove thyme leaves from two sprigs and reserve. Season cavities with salt and pepper. Add 1 lemon, 2 sprigs of thyme, and 4 sprigs of parsley to each cavity. Truss chickens with kitchen twine and season outside of birds with salt, pepper, and reserved thyme leaves.

Place each chicken in an oven-safe sauté pan and put in oven. Bake for 1 hour or until leg meat registers 170˚ F with thermometer.

Remove chicken from sauté pans and place on large platter. (Allow meat to rest 10 to 15 minutes before carving.) Remove and discard most of fat from pans but keep brown bits and consolidate into one pan. Heat pan on stovetop to medium-low. Add shallots and sauté until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine and reduce until half of liquid is gone. Add chicken stock and reduce for 2 to 3 minutes. Add juices that have dripped from chicken onto platter to sauté pan and mix. Remove from heat and drizzle sauce on chicken.

In large stockpot, add potatoes and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes and pass through a food mill or ricer. Add butter and mix well, until butter has melted. Add milk gradually and stir. (The ideal texture is smooth but not watery.) Season with salt and serve with chicken and sauce.