Weeknight Roast Chicken

Preheat the oven to 475°F. Heat an oven-safe roasting pan or skillet (I use a 10-inch frying pan) over medium heat on the stove.

Combine the salt and pepper in a small bowl and stir until mixed. Remove and discard the lump of fat that sits just inside the cavity of the chicken. Rinse the chicken thoroughly inside and out, then pat it dry (inside and out) as thoroughly as you can. I prefer to use a tea towel (that then goes straight into the laundry) as napkins or paper towels tend to leave behind little flecks and don’t get the bird as dry. The drier the bird, the browner and crisper the skin will be.

Rub the chicken all over the outside with the salt and pepper mixture. Tuck the wings under the shoulders. Once the oven has reached 475°F, carefully transfer the chicken, breast-side up to the preheated frying pan. The chicken should sizzle loudly when you place it in the pan. Place the pan in the oven on the center rack.

Roast the chicken for 30 minutes, at which point it should be starting to brown nicely. Gently loosen the chicken from the pan (drying the bird and preheating the pan should keep sticking to the minimum) and flip it over so it is breast-side down. Return to the oven and roast for another 20 minutes (10-15 minutes if it’s a very small bird), then flip the chicken back over to re-crisp the breast side skin for a minute or two.

Remove from the oven and place the chicken on a cutting board. Though your chicken should be well-roasted by this point, you can insert a meat thermometer in the deepest part of the breast to ensure it is at the temperature of your choice (165 F). Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before carving it into pieces. If you like, you can use the drippings in the pan as the base for a gravy.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted from the cookbook from the Zuni Cafe, San Francisco.