This recipe originally comes from Ina Garten, but I’ve internalized it so thoroughly I could roast a chicken in my sleep.  I hope I don’t get a cease and desist for posting this…

Serves three to four.

-1, 5-to-6 lb whole chicken, all the internal stuff yanked out
-Buttah, at least 4 tbsp but hell, go for the whole stick
-Aromatics for the bird (thyme, garlic, yellow onion, lemon)
-Salt and pepper
-A couple carrots, yellow onion, potatoes, fennel
-Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.

2. Rinse off the birdie-bird, inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels.

3. Salt and pepper the heck out of the inside of the chicken.

4. Halve (or quarter, if it makes it easier to stuff) the aromatics that need resizing and stuff ’em in the cavity.

5. Cut your carrots/potatoes/onions/fennel into chunks and scatter them in a roasting pan just big enough to accommodate the chicken.  Toss with olive oil, S&P, and some thyme if you’re using any.  Spread them out so that they lie in one layer.

6.  Place our dearly departed clucker on the veg.  You have two options now:  you can use room temperature butter and smear it all over the bird, or melt the butter and brush it on.  Both are effective.  Finish off with a liberal salt-and-peppering.

7. Tuck the wings under the body (like he’s doing a sit-up), tie the legs together with chicken string.

8.  Cook for 1.5 hours, until the juices run clear when near the thigh.

9. Let chicken rest for 10-15 minutes, wrapped in foil, before carving.  Check the vegetables; if they’re not quite done, let them go back in the oven while the chicken is having its nap.