Simple Roast Chicken

by Thomas Keller

• One 2- to 3-pound farm-raised chicken
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced thyme (optional)

Let chicken come to room temperature. Take chicken out of the fridge 45 minutes before you start roasting it. Ideally salt the chicken 24 hours before roasting.

Don't wash chicken; this avoids spreading chicken germs all over your sink.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Dry chicken very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.

Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it's a good technique to feel comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird. If you choose not to truss chicken, make sure tip of wings is tucked under or it will burn.

Now, salt the chicken—rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper. 

Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan with breast side up and when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. Rotate the pan so that the legs are pointing toward the rear left corner and the breast is pointing toward the centre of the oven(the back corners tend to be the hottest spots in the oven, so this orientation protects the breast from overcooking before the legs are done). After about 30 minutes move the pan so the legs are facing the back right corner of the oven.

I leave it alone—I don't baste it, I don't add butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don't want. Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes. Chicken is done when the internal temperature is 165°F. Insert thermometer between breast and thighs; thickest part of the chicken. If chicken is cooked past 165 it will start to dry out.

Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.