This is a whole roasted chicken I made for dinner the other night. I used this really nice rosemary salt a friend had given me a while back to season the bird -- which added really nice flavor. I like to season it two days in advance and just wrap it loosely in the refrigerator. This works a lot like a brine and gives you super juicy, tender meat.
To roast the bird -- I used a procedure from the Zuni Cafe Cookbook (a restaurant famous for its Zuni Roast Chicken, if you're not familiar), which I've found works great. It recommends working with a small fryer (around 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 lbs.) and simply tucking a sprig of herb under the skin on each breast and thigh. The recipe doesn't call for any extra fat because the fat from the skin naturally renders leaving you with beautifully crisp skin!
To cook -- heat a small roasting dish (just slightly larger than the chicken) over medium-high heat, then add chicken, breast side up -- it should sizzle. Place in a preheated 450 degree oven and roast for around 30 min. The chicken will begin to brown and you should hear the juices sizzling. If the pan begins to smoke, reduce the heat by 25 degrees. Then, turn the bird over, so it's breast side down and cook another 10 min. Return the chicken to breast-side up and finish cooking (another 15 - 20 min). Internal temp should be 165 degrees and skin should be nice and crisp. This is really all it takes -- and you will be amazed how declicious this simple dish can be. I paired mine with the butternut squash gratin --- so good!
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