Roasting a chicken is one of those skills every non-vegetarian should have. A whole roast chicken is easy to prepare, lends itself to many varieties and can feed several people. You can roast a chicken with the barest of raw materials: a whole chicken, roasting pan, butter, salt and pepper. That’s it.

Preparation:

- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

- Remove the giblets from the cavity of the bird

- Rinse both the inside and outside of the chicken. Lightly pat the outside dry.

- Melt butter (exact amount depends on how large your chicken is, a tablespoon or two is a good guess) and brush the outside of the chicken with it.

- Generously sprinkle outside of chicken with salt and pepper - Place the chicken in a roasting pan, breast side up.

- Roasting time varies depending on the side of your bird. If your bird is small (around 2 pounds) start testing for doneness after about an hour. If it’s a medium bird (3-4 pounds) it’s probably going to need at least an hour and 15 minutes, if it’s a large bird start checking after an hour and half (5-6 pounds). To test for doneness use an instant read thermometer (180 F is the sweet spot for chicken doneness) or cut into the bird to verify that the juices run clear. If neither of those criteria are met put the bird back into the oven and check it again after ten minutes.

- When the chicken is done remove it from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving. As I mentioned roast chicken is incredibly versatile so think of the above basic roast chicken recipe as just a starting off point. My favorite roast chicken recipe actually comes, as so many of my favorite recipes do, from Ina Garten.

Perfect Roast Chicken Copyright, 1999, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, All rights reserved 1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs 1 lemon, halved 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted 1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced 4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks 1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges Olive oil Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top. Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

You can follow the recipe just as Garten has written it but tasty variations are almost limitless. Substitute rosemary for time, swap out oranges for lemon, add potatoes or sweet potatoes to the pan, leave out the fennel and on and on.