Hortus Deliciarum

Position a rack in the center of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 400F/200C.  Lightly oil a shallow roasting pan or baking sheet.

Toss together to coat and combine:

- Two to three 2- to 3- inch boiling potatoes, peeled and quartered

- 2 to 3 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch pieces

- 2 to 3 medium celery stalks, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (I omitted this)

- 2  to 3 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil

- 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

- 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt

- Ground black pepper to taste

(I also threw in three or four garlic cloves that I’d peeled and smashed)

Remove the neck and giblets from, then rinse and pat dry:

- 1 whole chicken (4 to 7 pounds)

(I omit rinsing and drying – have heard that it essentially just spreads bacteria around your kitchen!)

Generously rub the body and neck cavities and sprinkle the skin with:

- Salt (I used a special seasoned salt blend that we bought in Seattle.  I can’t remember the company name.  A few dried herbs and sea salt should approximate it)

Arrange in a roasting pan or on a rack in a roasting pan and brush with butter.  The vegetables need to cook for about 1 hour.  If you are roasting a 4-pound chicken, scatter the vegetables over the roasting pan in a single layer as soon as the chicken goes into the oven.  If you are roasting a larger chicken, add them to the pan about 1 hour before you estimate that the chicken will be done. (if the chicken happens to cook more quickly than you anticipate, continue to roast the vegetables while the chicken stands before carving.)  Stir the vegetables every 15-20 minutes during cooking.  Remove the vegetables to a platter and, if feasible, remove any fat in the pan.  Pour into the pan:

- 1/3 – 1/2 cup chicken stock

Set the pan on two burners over a medium heat, bring the liquid to a simmer, and scrape with a spoon until the browned roasting bits are dissolved.  Carve the chicken, arrange on the platter with the vegetables, and drizzle the deglazing liquid over all.  (I skipped the deglazing and the chicken and veggies were just fine but I would probably give it a go next time).

Cooking times for the roasted chicken are, roughly:

If you prize moist breast meat, consider the chicken done when the thickest part of the thigh exudes clear juices when priced deeply with a fork and registers 170 – 175F on an instant-read meat thermometer.  If you like the dark meat falling off the bone and are willing to risk a dry breast, roast until the thigh registers  180F.  The total roasting time for a 4-pound bird will be 55-65 minutes.  For larger birds, figure 1 hour for the first 4 pounds, plus about 8 minutes for each additional pound.  Remove the chicken to a platter and let stand for 10-15 minutes.

I cooked our 1.6 kilo bird for an hour and it was perfect – the breast was still fairly moist (I hate breast meat and would have been okay eating this).  If I had it to do over I’d give it only 50 minutes or so to leave the breast even moister.   The skin was wonderfully crispy!