name='patrickamory' timestamp='1297735331' post='1789688'
After trying a million different ways over the past 10 years, I feel like I have arrived at the perfect roast chicken. It's an adaptation of Marcella Hazan's recipe and works for me 100%. Breast and dark meat are perfect.

3 1/2 pound chicken, preferably Murray's
sea salt
pepper
good fresh semi-sharp paprika
2 SMALL lemons
trussing needle and butcher's twine

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix generous amount of sea salt with freshly ground pepper and semi-sharp paprika. I use about 1 tbs salt. The final mix should have a decidedly red-and-black tinge.

Pat chicken dry thoroughly, inside and out. Rub all over, inside and out, with salt-pepper-paprika mixture.

Roll the lemons on the counter with two hands to loosen juices inside. Prick all over at least 20 times with a trussing needle (that means the ends as well). Stuff them both into the bird's cavity. It should be possible to fit both lemons.

Sew up the vent thoroughly. Tie the legs together so they are firm against the breast. Sew up the neck as well - should only take a small amount of twine (Hazan doesn't mention this, but from the way she expects the bird to swell up, there has to be something to seal off this end as well).

Place bird upside-down (legs down, back up) in roasting pan.

Place pan in top third of oven, as close as possible to the top (I use a gas oven heated from the top - temperatures are very accurate).

Roast 30 minutes.

Turn bird right-side up. Roast for 25 minutes.

Turn heat up to 450. Roast for another 20 minutes.

Remove bird from oven, allow to rest on carving board for 5-10 minutes. Carve and serve.

Note on time: bird requires 20-25 minutes per pound. I find that the above times and temperatures are perfect for a 3.5 lb Murray's bird in my oven. For a slightly heavier bird, I go 30, 30 and 20 on times. I don't find that larger birds roast as well (despite the "roaster" epithet).