What is your prefered method for roasting chicken?

1) Cut a few carrots and celery lengthwise (make sure the carrots have a flat side, so they don't roll) and arrange them like a lattice at the bottom of your roasting pan.
2) Place chicken on top (cleaned, dry, with the giblets, etc. removed), breast side up.
3) Cut a lemon in half (I like to zest the lemon first and use the zest for something else, but you don't have to). Remove seeds. Stick one half inside the cavity.
4) Take a few garlic cloves and remove the papery covering and stick those inside the cavity, too. If the cloves are too large (such as from Elephant Garlic), cut in half before placing inside the cavity.
5) When the cavity is mostly though not completely full, stick the other half of the lemon in there. The lemon essentially acts as a plug for everything else.
6) There is no Number 6.
7) Brush on some margarine, butter or olive oil. Get some inside the cavity if you like.
8) Sprinkle kosher salt on top (not too much!).
9) Grind some pepper on top as well.
10) Add a little paprika if you like (this step is optional).
11) Toss in a preheated 450 degree oven. Cook for 20 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR
12) Turn the heat down to 350 and cook the chicken for the remaining time, which is pounds x 20 minutes. E. g. a 3 lb. chicken takes an hour. Again, DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR. You don't need to baste it. But opening the oven door means you lose heat, so don't do it.
13) Remove from the oven and let rest for about 20 minutes.
14) Remove the stuff from the cavity and discard. Slice as per usual. The lattice of carrots and celery can be eaten then or tossed into soup as a part of a chicken stock.

If you don't like lemon, try lime (more of a Southwestern flavor) or orange (oranges are larger so you may end up using just 2 quarters of one). Shallots or onions can be substituted for garlic. Toss in some thyme or rosemary into the cavity if you like but don't forget to include both an aromatic (garlic, etc.) and a citrus (lemon, etc.). The aromatic flavors everything and the citrus keeps everything moist. This chicken is fantastic and it is foolproof.

Beer Butt Chicken

Drink 1/2 a can of beer (bottles will work, too).
Stick the beer in the hind end of the chicken.
Stand the chicking in the roasting pan.
Roast.

Crackling skin; moist, flavorful meat.

Yum!

Garlic! Beer!

So with either of the recipes do you brine or dry your chicken first or do you just go straight from the package?

The only way I ever drank 1/2 beer was when there was 12 before them.

That does sound good though. I shall buy myself a can of beer, and give the other 1/2 to my 3 cats.

That way, we'll have dinner and a show.

1) http://www.able2know.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=41268&start=0

2) wash, pat dry, put lemons (rolled first, then sliced )and garlic inside, put in oven, roast at 350 and then 400 (adaptation/M. Hazan)

3) haven't tried Judy Rodgers method, but there are many many many raves about it at the Zuni Cafe, and not only as a method for chicken.
It involves salting, but not brining as such.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4401342
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F03E6DC113BF934A3575BC0A9649C8B63
http://www.emilykaiser.com/text/000421.php

Dried. Pretty much Jespah's/OssoB's #2.

Sometimes dried, just salt and pepper.

Salt and pepper and stuff it into the oven.

I wash and dry the chicken and put lemons and garlic in the cavity, like oso. I coat it with olive oil salt and pepper and put it in a cold oven. Turn the heat to screaming hot (500.) Cook till done, usually around 45 minutes to an hour. (The smoke alarms go off.) The skin gets crispy and the meat stays juicy.

I do the Swimpy version with the oven at 500 degrees. The chicken is only left in for 8 min per pound, so a 3 pound chicken
1brought up to room temp in the pan

2The oven preheated to 500
Then stick er in the oven and a 5 lb chicken will take 40 min while a 3 pound chicken will take 25 min

Does that really work??!

Yes it does. It's pretty good to. I do it on a BarBQ.

Thats going to be my next craigslist ad: Man needs moman to roast chicken.

I wash and dry the chicken first (it, not to be too gross about it, gets the blood off). I also tend to trim off visible fat then, plus don't forget to take the, er, packages out of the cavity. Also -- forgot to add -- for the last 30 mins or so, check it a few times with an instant read thermometer. Ovens can have hot and cold spots and sometimes it can be done a little early so you want to get it before it dries out.

I'm not a big chicken fan, but when I do roast it, I mix Honey and Mustard in equal parts, add a little grated orange peel and dill.

I leave the chicken in this marinade for at least half an hour, if possible a few hours, then roast it.

Rinse
Pat dry with towel
Paint with butter or olive oil.

Forgot to add that it's best if you flip the flap of neck skin over the opening to hold in the steam.

I use a meat thermometer to avoid over cooking.

The high heat method of roasting is from Barbara Kafka"s book and the omly caution is that, with "heritage" type birds (including HEritage Turkeys) the method of calculating the time is incorrect and Ive never found a minimum time for "H" birds. Seems that they are less fatty and they dry out much quicker than chicken that is factory raised. Also birds like Guinea hens , and pheasants are also not good candidates for fast high temp roasting.

I've done this as well. And it comes out pretty good.

I also cook mine as follows:

I put butter or olive oil under the skin of the breast and some seasoning (whatever floats your boat - italien seasoning, bay leaves, garlic), then pour balsamic vinegar inside the chicken and under the skin and all over. I put it in a roasting pan breast side down with a cover - if I want a cripsy skin, I remove the cover half hour before completing cooking.

I like dark meat, so I'm more likely to buy a package of thighs and drums... I like to mix one paart each of horseradish, orange marmalade, and worchestershire sauce and coat each piece thoroughly. Put them on a cookie sheet with sides (jelly roll pan?) and bake at 350 until done (about an hour). Don't open the door!