Instructions: Remove giblets from chicken and reserve for other uses. Pull off and discard lumps of fat. Rinse bird well inside and out; pat dry.

Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper. If desired, fold wing tips under first joint. Set bird breast up on a V-shaped rack in an 11- by 17-inch pan.

Roast in a 425 degree regular or convection oven until a thermometer inserted through thickest part of breast to bone reaches 170 degrees, or 180 degrees through thickest part of thigh at joint, 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours. If drippings start to smoke, tilt pan, skim fat and discard; then add about 1/4 cup water.

Insert a carving fork into body cavity, piercing carcass; lift bird and tilt to drain juices into pan. Set chicken on a rimmed platter and let rest in a warm place about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, skim and discard fat from pan. Stir juices to release browned bits and pour through a fine strainer, if desired, into a small bowl. Carve chicken and serve with juices. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.

Comments: Consider this basic recipe a blank palette on which to layer flavors - herbs under the skin and in the body cavity, other seasonings with the salt and pepper over the skin, or embellishments to the pan juices afterward.

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