Even the simplest roasted chicken always seems like a special dinner to me. I’m not sure why; maybe it’s because making a whole bird is like having a mini-Thanksgiving. The irony, of course, is that Thanksgiving is a huge deal and a ton of work, while there are few dinners faster or easier than roast chicken. All you have to do is buy a nice bird, lube it up, shoot it in the oven, and voilà! You have a beautiful chicken dinner. Add some gravy to that and mmmmm . . . Just for the record, I’m not a gravy strainer, but if you are, knock yourself out!

　　

Ingredients

serves: 4 to 6

　　3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped

　　Pinch of crushed red pepper

　　2 lemons, zested and juiced

　　4 cloves garlic, 2 smashed and finely chopped, 2 just smashed

　　Kosher salt

　　Extra virgin olive oil

　　1 4 1/2- to 5-pound chicken

　　2 onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice

　　2 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch dice

　　2 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice

　　1 quart chicken stock (see page 85)

　　1/4 cup all-purpose flour

　　1/2 cup dry white wine

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

　　

Step 2

In a small bowl, combine the rosemary, red pepper, lemon zest and juice, and chopped garlic; season generously with salt and drizzle in just enough olive oil to make a paste.

　　

Step 3

Using your fingers, gently work your way under the skin of the chicken to separate it from the breast and the leg meat, then massage half of the herb paste under the skin. Rub the remaining paste all over the outside of the bird; really lube it up so that the paste acts like suntan oil and the skin gets nice and brown and crispy (the bird will also be really well seasoned!).

　　

Step 4

Truss the chicken (see below).

　　

Step 5

Put the smashed garlic, onions, celery, and carrots in the bottom of a roasting pan. Add 1 cup of the chicken stock and a sprinkle of salt, then plunk the chicken on top, breast side up (the soft side, breasts are soft!), and put the pan in the oven.

　　

Step 6

Cook for 20 minutes, then check the bird. When it’s brown and lovely on top, pull it out of the oven and use tongs to turn it over in a little chicken pirouette. Cook for another 20 minutes.

　　

Step 7

Reduce the heat to 375°F. and turn the chicken over again. Spoon some of the pan juices over the chicken every 15 minutes or so. Keep an eye on the vegetables—move them around now and then, and if they start to brown too much, add a little more stock, about 1/2 cup at a time. Cook for another 45 minutes.

　　

Step 8

Remove the chicken from the oven and insert an instant-read thermometer into the crease between the breast and thigh; it should read 160°F. If not, continue cooking until it does. Remove the chicken from the roasting pan, cover with foil, and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

　　

Step 9

Use a spoon to skim and discard as much of the excess fat as you can from the vegetables in the roasting pan by propping up one side of the pan a bit so all the liquid runs to one end; you won’t get all of it, but that’s okay—fat tastes good! Put the roasting pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the veg and whisk; the mixture will turn to a paste, which is what you want. Slowly add the wine and continue whisking until most of the lumps have dissolved and the wine has reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the remaining stock, bring to a boil (BTB), and reduce to a simmer (RTS); cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the gravy thickens. Taste and season with salt as needed.

　　

Step 10

To carve the chicken, pull the leg and thigh away from the breast until the thighbone pops out of the socket (a sign that the chicken is cooked properly). Use a carving knife to separate the thigh and drumstick at the connecting joint. To remove the breast meat, feel for the ridge of the breastbone in the center of the chicken and carefully slice down around the ribcage on both sides. Serve with the gravy.

　　

TRUST ME! TRUSSING WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

Step 11

Your chicken will never taste the same again—I promise! Trussing helps keep your chicken in that lovely football shape (once you get the hang of it, your chickens will look as perfect as that turkey in the Norman Rockwell painting). It also evens out the cooking process; by bringing the legs up to protect the breast, trussing helps keep the white meat juicy and allows the heat to hit the legs more evenly.

　　

Step 12

Don’t be scared, trussing is super-simple: Take about 30 inches of butcher’s twine (don’t bother to measure; just cut off a nice long piece) and, with the legs pointing away from you, center the string under the legs. Pull the legs gently back toward you and make an X with the string. Drop the cross of the X away from you and between the legs, pulling it tightly to create loops or “handcuffs” around each leg. Then pull the loops tightly around the chicken. Pull the string back toward you and around the back of the chicken, then tie it in a bow or a knot, whatever. Look at you, all trussed up and ready to go!

　　Cook Like a Rock Star