Roast Chicken

Serves: 4

1 (5-pound) chicken

1 lemon, halved

1/2 ounce whole garlic cloves (about 4)

1 cup chicken stock, water, juice or
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Wine to deglaze pan

Place a rack on the second level from the bottom of oven. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Pull excess fat from chicken. Freeze the neck, gizzards and liver for another use. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the lemon, garlic, salt and pepper. Season the skin with salt and pepper. Place the chicken breast side up in a roasting pan (12- by 18- by 1-1/2 inches deep). Place in the oven, with legs facing toward the back of the oven, and roast 50 to 60 minutes, or until the juices run clear. During the first 10 minutes, move the chicken frequently with a wooden spoon to keep it from sticking to the pan. Before removing the chicken to a platter, insert a large wooden spoon into the neck end and tilt the chicken so the cavity juices run out into the roasting pan. Then place the chicken on a platter. Skim excess fat from the pan juices and put the pan on top of the stove. Add stock water or other liquid and bring the contents of the pan to a boil, scraping the bottom vigorously with a wooden spoon. Reduce liquid by half. Serve the sauce over the chicken, or if you prefer the skin to stay crisp--in a sauce boat.