Pat the chicken dry with paper towels or a kitchen rag. Make sure to absorb any liquid behind the wings or legs. Blot inside the body cavity too, getting the chicken as dry as you can, inside and out.

Rub oil or softened butter all over the chicken, paying special attention to the breast and the drumsticks. Be generous here! The oil will help the skin crisp and become golden.

Sprinkle the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Again, be generous here!

If desired, stuff the inside of the chicken with halved lemons, whole cloves of garlic or herbs. This adds subtle flavor to the chicken (and the roasted garlic can be spread on bread!)

You can roast the chicken by itself in a pan, or lift it off the pan using a roasting rack or roughly chopped vegetables (see recipe note).

Put the chicken in the oven and immediately lower the oven temperature to 400 F. Set a timer for 50 minutes and let the chicken roast undisturbed.

The chicken is done when it registers 165 F in the thickest part of the thigh, when the wings and legs wiggle loosely, and when the juices run clear. Continue roasting the chicken and checking it every 10 minutes until it is done. Total roasting time will be between 50 minutes and 1 1/2 hours -- exact cooking time will depend on the size and type of your chicken.

Once it has finished cooking, transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for about 15 minutes. During this time, you can prepare a salad or side dish or whisk some flour into the pan juices to make gravy.

Carve the chicken into breasts, thighs and drumsticks, and serve. Pick any remaining meat off the bones and save it for other meals. Leftovers will keep for about 5 days in the fridge or can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipe Notes:

You can change the flavor of the chicken by adding a spice rub along with the salt and pepper. I like Chinese 5-spice blend, za'atar spices and ras el hanout.

You can also make a 2-in-1 meal by roasting the chicken on top of a bed of potatoes, onions, carrots or other vegetables.

(Emma Christensen is recipe editor at TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to kitchn@apartmenttherapy.com.)