Roasted Chicken, whole

Estimated time: 2 hours.

What you need:

• One whole chicken
• Salt
• Olive oil
• Garlic, chopped or crushed
• Seasoning Mix 1:
  • Rosemary
  • Thyme
  • Italian Seasoning Mix
  • Black Pepper (to taste)
• Seasoning Mix 2:
  • Old Bay
  • Cumin
  • Smoked Paprika
  • Cayenne Pepper (to taste)
  • Nutmeg (a pinch, less than the others)

Get to it:

• Open the chicken, remove the innards sack (will not be used here).
• Pad the chicken with a paper towel if skin is too moist.
• Prepare a deep baking tray: line with aluminum foil or grease with olive oil.
• Place the bird on the baking tray.
• Drip olive oil, spread with hands all over the skin.
• Salt all over, including the open cavity.
• Add a full teaspoon of garlic inside the cavity.
• Add your chosen seasoning mix on the outside, spreading evenly. Add the seasoning mix inside the cavity.
• Turn the bird to the other side, salt and season evenly again.
• With the breasts up, put the bird on the tray and cover with aluminum foil.
• Into the oven at 425 F for 30 minutes.
• Remove the foil cover, into the oven at 350 F for 60 minutes.
• Due to oven variations, check the bird temperature after 45 minutes, using a cooking thermometer. When the internal temperature gets to at least 160 F, remove from the oven, cover and let it rest for 15 minutes. (Tip: check internal temperature in more than one spot. Go deep into chest, try to get into the connection between thigh and carcass.)
• If all went well, the chicken should have a crisp and dark skin, with a moist meat on the inside.

Optional: some stuffing

• On a pan in medium heat sauté in olive oil: red onions, garlic, celery, carrots. Season to taste (salt and black pepper at minimum).
• When the onions are losing color, add your favorite sausage (chorizo, andouille, Italian, etc) cut in small pieces.
• Sauté until some fat renders from sausage.
• Add white white to deglaze, turn heat low.
• At the very end, when liquids get a bit thick, you can add butter (2 to 4 tablespoon).
• Place chicken standing up on a baking tray, with the cavity opening up.
• Pour all into the cavity of the bird.
• Get a whole lemon and seal the cavity opening. Lay the bird ready to bake and cook.
• At the end of cooking, take whole lemon out, scoop stuffing to serve as a side.
• Cut the lemon and squeeze juices on top of chicken before serving.