After my success with high-temperature turkey roasting, I decided to move on to chickens. There’s something about a roast chicken that seems worthy of a special occasion. Instead, they’re cheap and easy to make. So easy, in fact, that I recommend making two at a time for leftovers, just like I do with beer can chicken.
This recipe makes a moist chicken that isn’t at all greasy. I’ve found that many recipes require butter under the skin, but it adds calories, fat and greasiness, and I can’t imagine that it would dramatically improve the flavor of the bird.
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 450. Clean and prepare your chickens, then dry thoroughly with paper towels, inside and out. Place the bird breast side up (if you’re not sure which side is which, the pointy ends of the wing tips will be sticking up). Coat the skin with olive oil and kosher salt for a nice, crisp skin. Add pepper, too, if you’re feeling fancy.
I’ve found that two chickens — about 5.5 pounds each — take approximately one hour to roast to perfection. You want the temperature to read 160 degrees in the breast or 180 degrees in the thigh.
Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before carving.