Instructions: Preheat the oven to 300F. Remove the giblets and excess fat from the cavity of the chicken. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, in cold water and dry it thoroughly with paper towels. Roll the lemons on a countertop to soften them. Then pierce each lemon with a skewer or toothpick in about twenty places.

In a small bowl, use a spoon to mash the salt, paprika, and garlic into a paste. Rub half the paste inside the chickens cavity. Then cram in as many of the lemons as will fit. Truss the chicken if you like; it isnt essential. Rub the rest of the paste all over the outside of the chicken. Place the chicken on a greased rack and put the rack into a greased roasting pan. Pour the water into the bottom of the pan.

Bake the chicken for 45 to 60 minutes per pound (dont worry, this is the correct amount). As the water in the pan evaporates, add more. Take the lemons out before you bring the chicken to the table; they wont be very attractive at this point Serve the chicken with the pan juices.

NOTES : Its just as easy to roast a big chicken as a small one, and you might as well have leftovers for the week ahead. Cooking the chicken at a low temperature takes longer but makes for tender, succulent meat. (Technically, roasting" means cooking at a high temperature, but it sounds better than "baked.") You can stick this chicken into the oven six hours ahead of dinnertime and then basically forget about it.

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