Apple, garlic, & sage roasted chicken

Chicken, whole, rinsed, fat trimmed	1
Butter, room temperature	¼ cup
Garlic bulb, ½ cloves minced, ½ cloves crushed	1
Lemon zest	1 lemon
Apple, Granny Smith, cored, chunked	1
Sage, fresh, rubbed and torn	10 leaves
Salt
Pepper, freshly ground

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a small bowl, combine butter, minced garlic, and lemon zest.
3. In another small bowl, combine apples, sage, and crushed garlic.
4. Place rinsed chicken in roasting pan.
5. Cut slits in skin on both sides of the chicken, and insert fingers to loosen the skin from the meat.
6. Divide and stuff butter mixture under skin through the holes, rub any remaining on surface of skin.
7. Stuff apple mixture inside the chicken.
8. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
9. Cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes
10. Remove foil, continue baking, basting occasional with juices, until meat registers 165°F.