INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Nothing lifts the spirit or tantalizes more than the fragrance of a
roasting chicken. Caramelized and combined with vegetables and herbs,
nothing comforts more. The trick to cultivating great roast chicken
flavor is in the oven temperature. High initial heat of 450 to 500
degrees is necessary to caramelize the chicken's natural sugars and
acids. This is the basis of that wonderful roast chicken flavor.
Cooked at low temperatures, the chicken becomes poached with far less
flavor development. Not only is chicken cooked this way succulent,  but
can also be quite healthful. The white meat or breast meat is the
leanest and even if you cook it with the skin, the fat is negligible
once the skin is removed. The skin provides "protection" for the meat
and maintains its moistness. Younger chickens are sold as fryers,
while older more mature birds are marketed as roasters. Fryers  usually
weigh less than 2 1/2 pounds while roasters are much larger,  weighing
in at 3 to 5 pounds. Choose your chicken based on the  portions needed,
but keep in mind the younger birds are the most  tender. I sometimes
purchase 2 smaller birds instead of 1 large. THE  COOKING STEPS: Wash
the chicken inside and out under cold running  water. Place in a
roasting pan. Season the bird inside and out with  salt and pepper.
Stuff herbs such as thyme, rosemary, parsley and  summer savory into
the cavity. You may add other flavor enhancers  such as lemons, apples,
limes and pears. Before roasting, rub the  skin with a little softened
butter or a few drops of olive oil to  create that golden crispy skin.
Place the pan on the lower rack of a  preheated 450-500 degree oven.
Cook for 15 minutes the turn the  temperature down to 400 degrees for
the rest of the cooking time.  Cook until thigh meat reaches 180
degrees, about 35 to 45 minutes for  the fryers and 1 hour or so for
the roasters. Remove from oven and  allow to rest about 10    minutes.
Recipe follows.

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