When I was just out of college and setting up house, I bought a Foley roasting/broiler pan at the hardware store. Aluminum, with a stainless steel rack about an inch or so above the bottom, and cheap. I kept it very clean for decades, and so it lasted. About a year ago, though, the rivets on one of its handles let go, and now the other handle is showing signs of giving up. I have been trying to remedy this, but things are looking bad. We’ve been through a lot together, my pan and I, but, lately, I realize I may have to face the prospect of going on alone.

I know. Thank you.

We’ve roasted a lot of chickens, the two of us. A few years ago, I saw Melissa Clark’s simple recipe which, with a few modifications, I offer here.

Melissa Clark’s Roast Chicken, Mostly

A 3 and 1/2 to 4-pound chicken. I buy organic chickens, more expensive and worth it.
2 and 1/2 tsp. Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you use Morton’s kosher, use less — it’s saltier.
2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Rinse the chicken, clean the interior of extraneous bits, check it over for pinfeathers. Current advice says don’t wash, etc., you’ll contaminate your surfaces. I ignore this. Just be scrupulous about your knives, counter, cutting board, sponge, and your hands. Dry your hands with paper towels. Or don’t clean it, up to you.

Stuff the cavity with paper towels, pat it dry all over, let it sit a bit, remove the towels. Rub the chicken all over, inside and out, with the salt and pepper. Place it in the refrigerator on a rack, uncovered, for at least a few hours. I usually do this early in the morning and then it’s ready to pop into the oven at the end of the day. The point of this is to dry the skin, which will help it crisp. I set it on my roasting pan's rack in the fridge. First, though, I cover the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil — to save on scrubbing — and then I cover the foil with slices of bread, stale or cheap will do. Melissa doesn’t say to do this but if you don’t, the drippings will smoke up the house. She also puts herbs in the cavity and ties the legs. I do tuck back the wings, but otherwise I don’t do these things.

Take the chicken out of the fridge and let the pan sit on the counter while you preheat your oven to 450 degrees. This takes my big oven about half an hour. Bake 50 minutes to an hour, until the usual tests for doneness apply. Remove the chicken to a platter or carving board, i.e., off the hot pan, and let it rest for ten minutes or so before carving. The best, the very best, and the best, crispiest, crackling skin. Vegetarians will be lining up. Well okay, maybe not, but it’s irresistible, and I never eat the skin in any other circumstance.

By the way, I always roast two at the same time, and here is how I recently used some of the leftover meat:

Excellent Winter Salad

It isn’t necessary to be specific about the amounts you will use. It depends on how many people will be at your table, and I always make too much — I love leftover salad, and if you don’t drown it in dressing, it will hold up well.

A head (or more) of romaine lettuce, washed, shaken, wrapped in towels and allowed to crisp in the refrigerator
5 to 8 ounces of ciabatta (I use Chabaso), cut into nice squares. The weight is marked on the sleeve; 8 oz. is about half a loaf.
1 to 2 TB. plain olive oil (i use Berio)
Salt and pepper
2 ounces pecans, or more for a bigger salad, roughly chopped
2 Gala apples, cored and thinly sliced. I like Galas, but other red eating apples will do. Red for the color.
4 ounces, or more, of softish blue cheese, pulled apart into crumbles
Red onion, sliced into slivers
Medjool dates, pitted and sliced

Salad dressing:  I make my own with olive oil, salt and pepper, garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and a little red wine vinegar. You can use your own favorite dressing, but I wouldn’t, in this case, use a strong extra virgin oil, much as I love them. You don’t want to compete with the ingredients, and romaine is a fairly neutral lettuce; it’s all about the texture.

Chicken: However much you’d like or have on hand. Or not. This salad is good without the chicken.

Preheat an oven to about 400 degrees. Cover an edged cookie sheet with foil. Put the bread on it, drizzle with the oil, lightly salt and pepper, stir around with your hand. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes until golden and crisp. Even if you never make this salad, this is a great way to make croutons. Roast the pecans separately for 6 or 7 minutes — keep an eye out and don’t burn them.

Put as much lettuce as you think you’ll need into a big bowl, toss with a little dressing, not too much. Add the nuts, dates, onions, chicken, and some of the croutons. Toss again, with another light dose of dressing. Again, don’t overdo it. How much of all the above?  A handful or more of this and that, according to your preferences; obviously, some ingredients are major players, and some are meant to be just small but enhancing additions.

I like to serve this on a platter, with the apples as shown in the photograph. Keeping them tight this way looks pretty and keeps them from turning brown too fast, and also add the blue cheese and more croutons on top. I had a couple of leftover new potatoes which I sliced and added.  This was dubious and I wouldn’t do that again. But other things you have around could be judiciously added. Slivers of fennel, for example, not a huge amount, would be very good. A stalk or two of celery, thinly sliced, with some of the delicious inner leaves, wouldn’t go amiss.

This, with warm bread on the side and a good dessert — go to town, your main is a salad — makes for a very festive lunch.

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Written by
Pamela Osborne