Simple Roast Chicken

There is nothing quite like a roast chicken cooked to perfection. Crispy skin, moist, and succulent. The perfect roast chicken is so easy. I just use salt, pepper and olive oil. It is all in the oven temperature for the crispy skin and moist inside. Once you try it a few times in your oven, you get a perfect chicken every time. I serve mine with fresh corn polenta and cilantro pesto.

Feeds 2 people for large dinner or 4 with a few sides

1 chicken about 4 pounds (give or take a little)

2-3 teaspoons salt

1-2 teaspoons pepper

drizzle of olive oil

To prepare

I like to season my chicken the day ahead and leave in the fridge over night. It acts as kind of a dry brine to help seal in the moisture. You can do it the day of if needed. Pre heat oven to 475. Pat chicken dry. Sprinkle chicken all over with salt and pepper and olive oil, rub in with hands, let come to room temperature as the oven heats. Place chicken in Dutch oven or baking dish. I choose not to tress my chicken, I find it gives more surface area for crispy skin. Place in oven, cook about 15-20 minute to sear the outside and brown the chicken. This may take longer depending one your oven. Once skin is browned, lower heat to 350 and continue cooking until thermometer placed in a thigh joint reads 155. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before carving.

A word on safe poultry temperature. Technically chicken or all poultry should be cooked to 165 internal. I take my meat off slightly before because residual heat will finish the cooking by 5-7 degrees. This ensures moist chicken and safe chicken. Juices should be clear, thermometer should slide in easy and joint and meat should not be red or dark pink.

If we don’t eat a whole roast chicken in a meal, I will remove all meat from carcass and save it for a chicken salad or bbq chicken flat bread the next day. So good and a perfect use of leftover meat.