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A-K Life
Alan R. and Kathy M. Henderson
All Rights Reserved
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Oven Roasted Chicken

Ingredients
1 medium onion cut into chunks
4-8 baby peeled carrots
2 stalks of celery cut into chunks
1 pound fingerling potatoes (cut bigger lengthwise)
2-3 tsp Salt
1 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried Thyme
1 tsp dried Basil
1/2 tsp dried Rosemary
3 to 4 lb. whole chicken
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions
Arrange a rack in the center of your oven, and preheat to 400°.

I pat dry the chicken, then cut the leg/thigh away from the chicken, so it cooks evenly.
Mix Salt, Pepper, Thyme, Basil and Rosemary in small bowl.

Put cut vegetables in bottom of a duct oven, oven safe skillet, cast iron skillet, or my favorite a West Bend waterless turkey roaster that I've owned since 1982.

Place 3 to 4 lb. whole chicken on a cutting board (best to use a plastic one you can sterilize). Pat the whole thing dry with paper towels. A dry chicken helps with browning.

With chicken breast facing up and legs pointing toward you, use a sharp knife to slice through loose area of skin connecting the leg and breast, making about a 3" long incision. Continue cutting downward until you hit the joint that connects the thigh to the body, then stop (once you get through the skin, there’s not much there; if you are cutting through flesh, you’re too close to the breast). This exposes the leg joint, making it easy to tell if chicken is cooked.

Season every surface of chicken, including skin along backbone, inside cavity, under wings, and inside part of the leg you just exposed, with spices.

Melt 1/2 stick butter in a small saucepan or microwave in a small bowl.

Transfer chicken breast side up to the roaster.

Drizzle melted butter or oil all over chicken  and transfer to oven.

I start checking for doneness after 45 minutes. Roast chicken until you reach 165 degrees in breasts using an instant read thermometer. 
For the old fashion method of doneness, you can poke a knife into leg joints. If juices run clear, the chicken is done. If you see a rosy pink color, it needs more time.
Continue to roast, checking every 5-10 minutes, until juices run clear.

Let chicken rest in roaster at least 15 minutes before carving.

Alan Notes
Kathy has been doing this without the vegetables and spices.