Roasted Chicken

Adapted from Chez Panisse Cafe Cookbook

This was my first time working with a whole chicken. It wasn't as bad as I thought, but that's probably because I bought the chicken that had all of the organs already removed. For those of you that know me well, you know that I'm willing to spend a few more pennies if it means I have to touch less gunk. Yes, I'm a wimp when it comes to that.
I do want to say that this recipe says to roast the chicken for a total of 55 minutes. I don't know what kind of oven they used, but I want that oven. It took a good 2.5 hours to roast. We ended up having a late supper, but it was well worth the wait. Aubrey said that it was one of the best chickens he has ever had. It fell right off the bone and had a hint of rosemary taste.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 roasting chicken, weighing about 3 and 1/2 pounds
1 TBSP salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper (I think I used more)
A few sprigs thyme or marjoram (I used rosemary)

Directions:
Remove any organs from the cavity and reserve for another use. Rinse the bird with cold water and pat dry. Liberally salt and pepper the entire bird, inside the cavity and all over the surface, including the back, wings, and inner and outer thighs. Carefully loosen the skin from the breast meat with your index finger. Stuff tender sprigs of thyme or marjoram (or rosemary) under the skin. Tie the legs together with butcher's twine. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before roasting. Preheat the oven to 450-degrees. Place the chicken, breast up, in a roasting pan or earthenware baking dish, and roast for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temp to 350-degrees and cook for another 45 minutes (but for a regular oven... 2 and 1/2 hours), turning twice during the cooking, so each wing side is up in turn. This will circulate the juices and fat and keep the meat moist. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Note: Do not ignore the delicious caramelized drippings in the pan. After the fat is poured off, the pan can be deglazed with white wine and the juices added to a sauce or vinaigrette. Variation: Flavor the chicken with lemon, garlic, and rosemary, both under the skin and in the cavity.