A perfectly roasted chicken is one that is divinely juicy on the inside and delightfully crispy on the outside. For us, a simple roast bird is the best:
To Get Bird Ready for Roasting:
Remove giblets from bird’s interior cavity. You can use these, if you want, by scattering them over the bottom of the roasting pan during cooking. Remove visible deposits of fat from chicken. Mix 2 teaspoons salt with 1 tsp. ground black pepper, and rub in to the walls of interior cavity.
Run your fingers under the skin of the breast and legs, separating it gently from the meat underneath. (For a small chicken – about 4 lbs – use 1 tablespoon of olive oil to rub over the breast and leg meat under the skin and 1 Tbls. olive oil to rub outside over the skin of the chicken. For a larger roaster – 5 ½ to 8 lbs. – use a little more oil.) *
To Cook Bird:
Place chicken, breast side down, in a roasting pan (on top of the giblets, if you are using). (Note: We prefer to place the bird atop a rack so that the fat drips below into the pan.) Roast in a preheated 400-degree oven for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees and turn the chicken breast-side up. Roast a small bird for an additional 45 minutes, until the skin is golden brown. For a larger bird, increase roasting time an additional 1 to 1 ½ hours.
Allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes before carving to let juices settle. A small bird serves 4; a larger bird serves 5-10, depending on size.
* Consider adding herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage, etc.), minced garlic, or spices (curry, African or Indian mixture, etc.) to the olive oil to infuse flavor. You can also eliminate all the preparatory additions and simply cook the bird according to the directions above; it will be just as juicy and tender and with that wonderful crispy exterior.
