8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley plus 3 large sprigs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, plus 3 large sprigs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, plus 3 small sprigs
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or other coarse salt

1 roasting chicken, about 7 pounds, rinsed and patted dry
4 medium onions, peeled and quartered
14 garlic cloves, peeled

1 cup chicken stock or broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

Mix the butter, chopped herbs and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt in a bowl, and blend well. If not using right away, refrigerate, but have the butter at room temperature when preparing the bird.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Sprinkle the cavity of the bird liberally with salt and pepper. Place half an onion, a couple garlic cloves and the herb sprigs inside the cavity of the chicken.

Place the chicken on a rack inside a large roasting pan. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the herbed butter underneath the skin of the chicken over the breast meat. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the herbed butter over the chicken skin, and truss the legs together. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the butter mixture. Scatter the remaining onions around the chicken.

Roast the chicken for 30 minutes. Scatter the remaining garlic cloves around the chicken, and brush the chicken, onions and garlic with some of the remaining herbed butter, reserving about 2 tablespoons for the sauce. Roast the chicken for another 60 minutes, occasionally basting with more of the herbed butter, until the internal temperature of the chicken thigh is 180 degrees Fahrenheit. The chicken should be golden brown at this point.

Remove the chicken to a serving platter, and tent with foil to keep warm.

Drain the drippings into a saucepan, including any browned bits at the bottom of the roasting pan. Add the chicken stock and white wine to the saucepan. Stir the 1 1/2 teaspoons of flour into the reserved 2 tablespoons of herbed butter to make a paste. Add the paste to the sauce, and whisk until combined. Simmer the sauce over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve the sauce over the chicken.