Step by step

Method

8 steps

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the center. Remove the innards from a 5-pound chicken and pat the bird dry inside and out.

2. 2

   Rub the chicken with 5 teaspoons coarse salt, using about 1 teaspoon per pound. Set it uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or overnight for a drier, crisper skin.

3. 3

   Quarter the onion and potatoes, slice the carrots, halve the garlic head, and quarter the lemon. Mix the rosemary into the softened butter.

4. 4

   Spread the vegetables over the bottom of a roasting pan and place the chicken on a rack above them. Pat the skin dry again and brush away any loose salt.

5. 5

   Put the garlic and lemon in the cavity. Rub the rosemary butter over the outside and under the breast skin, working gently so the skin does not tear.

6. 6

   Tuck the wing tips behind the chicken. For a no-twine truss, make a small slit in the loose skin near each side of the breast and tuck the drumsticks through the openings.

7. 7

   Roast at 425°F for about 20 minutes per pound. Start checking at 90 minutes; the breast should reach 160–165°F and the thickest thigh about 170°F. If the skin darkens early, tent the breast loosely with foil.

8. 8

   Move the chicken to a platter and rest at least 10 minutes before carving. Toss the roasted vegetables with the pan drippings and serve.