Simple Roast Chicken

Preheat oven to 450ºF.

Rinse inside and outside of chicken quickly with water, then pat dry. Pull the neck skin tight to the back of the chicken and secure with a pin. Season inside of cavity with ¼ teaspoon salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning mix. Stuff with lemon slices, parsley stems and celery leaves. With kitchen twine, tie legs tightly together.

Place chicken on a roasting rack inside of a roasting pan. Tuck wings tightly into the side of the body. Brush butter over the top of the chicken and sprinkle on remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350ºF and continue cooking chicken for approximately 2 hours, basting every 30 minutes as follows: first and second basting with lemon juice, third basting with fat/broth in the bottom of the roasting pan. After basting with lemon juice for the second time, pour 1 cup chicken broth into the bottom of the pan and place in the oven (you will use this to baste the chicken the third time).

Once the chicken has spent a total of 1 hour and 45 minutes in the oven and you have basted the chicken three times, begin monitoring the chicken for doneness. It should take approximately 30 more minutes to cook. When the chicken is done, a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (without touching the bone) should read 165ºF. You can also buy a chicken with a popup timer to let you know when it is fully cooked.

Remove cooked chicken from the oven and allow to sit 10 minutes on the roasting rack. Move the chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest while you make the gravy.

To make the gravy, whisk the broth left in the bottom of the roasting pan, scraping up burnt on bits in the bottom. Pour broth into a saucepan. Turn heat on saucepan to medium and add remaining ½ cup of chicken broth to the pan.

In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and water. Pour mixture into the gravy. Cook gravy on medium heat until bubbly and thickened. Serve gravy alongside carved chicken.

Note: Basting is just the process of pouring a small amount of liquid to the top of the chicken. Basting the chicken helps it to remain moist on the inside.