Summer is over. It is the middle of October and just like that! it feels as if someone flipped a switch.

But there is a silver lining. And these days, we all need to grab hold of the bright side. So…

A few cool, rainy days in a row and I am ready to fire up the oven and savor the amazing smell and taste of a perfectly roasted chicken.

For me, there are few dishes that are as purely nostalgic as roasted chicken. As children, we were allowed to choose our birthday meals and for me, it was always roasted chicken. Fast forward to (birthday!) trips to Paris–where they take chicken very seriously–and I have never been able to walk by a market or shop selling rotisserie chicken without slowing down to admire the glossy golden skin and inhale that amazing smell.

Or how about dinner at the NoMad in NYC, where I don’t think I would even consider ordering anything but the roasted chicken, which is elevated with a mixture of foie gras, truffles and brioche piped under the skin, melting and basting the meat as it cooks? It is nothing short of transcendent.

There are so many ways to roast a chicken, from stuffed to spatchcocked. Brined? Dry brined? Rubbed? Herbs, vegetables, lemon? Butter? Compound butter? On top or inserted between the skin and the meat? I have made them all and loved them all. But sometimes I just want easy. I want to get a delicious meal on the table with a minimum of effort, so this is my go to recipe.

Photo Tutorial for Simplest Roasted Chicken

This meal is made from simple ingredients so buy the best whole chicken you can find. Roasters are about 4 lb and typically more flavorful than broilers. The vegetables here are russet potatoes, onions and carrots, but feel free to add other root vegetables or fennel. You can also increase or decrease the amounts according to your tastes. We love roasted carrots, so I usually throw in a few extra.

The vegetables are peeled, cut into chunks, and placed into a roasting pan. Then they drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.

After the chicken is rinsed and dried, the cavity is stuffed with fresh thyme and sage. It joins the vegetables in my ancient vintage Farberware roasting pan and is then rubbed with more olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together and into the oven it goes!

Cook the roasted chicken for about 20 minutes per pound. It is done when the meat in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165F. The leg should move easily and juices should run clear (not pink). The vegetables are tender, except for all of the yummy crispy edges of the potatoes!

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Simplest Roast Chicken

A recipe for a hands-off, one pan complete meal of perfectly roasted chicken and vegetables.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• whole chicken abt 4 pounds, at room temperature
• 2-3 russet potatoes
• 1 onion
• 4 carrots
• 1 handful fresh thyme
• 1 handful fresh sage
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450F

For the vegetables:

• Cut the onion in to eighths. Peel the carrots and cut in to 3 inch segments. If any are very thick, cut them in half lengthwise. Peel potatoes and cut into 1 1/2" pieces.
• Place all of the vegetables into the bottom of a roasting pan and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper.

For the chicken:

• Starting with a whole chicken at room temperature, remove the giblets, rinse and pat dry, Place the thyme and sage inside the cavity and set the chicken on top of the vegetables. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
• Rub the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil all over the outside and season the skin with salt and pepper.

Cooking the chicken:

• Place the roasting pan in the preheated oven. After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 350F. Cook for 20 minutes per pound of chicken, or until the internal temperature at the thickest part of the thigh is 165F.
• Cover the chicken with aluminum foil and let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

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