Classic Chicken Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Pat the chicken dry inside and out with paper towels—dry skin helps brown.

Season and stuff

Rub the chicken all over with softened butter or olive oil. Generously season cavity and exterior with 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Insert thyme sprigs, rosemary sprigs, crushed garlic cloves, quartered onion and halved lemon into the cavity.

Truss and rest

Optionally truss the legs with kitchen twine. Let the seasoned chicken rest at room temperature for 20–30 minutes while you prepare the roasting base.

Prepare pan and roast

Scatter the large carrot and celery chunks and the halved shallot or onion in a roasting pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, season lightly with remaining salt and pepper. Place the chicken breast-side up on a rack set over the vegetables (or directly on the vegetables). Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes at 425°F (220°C), then reduce oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F (74°C), about 45–55 more minutes depending on bird size.

Rest

Remove chicken to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Let rest 15–20 minutes before carving. Reserve the roasting pan and vegetables with all pan juices for the gravy.

While chicken roasts, use the carrots, celery and shallot in the pan to flavor the drippings. After removing the chicken, place the roasting pan over two burners on medium heat (or transfer vegetables and juices to a large sauté pan). Add the optional 1/2 cup white wine now and simmer, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon until wine is reduced by half, about 2–3 minutes. If not using wine, proceed to next step.

Combine stocks

Add 3 cups chicken stock and 1 cup vegetable stock to the pan with the vegetables and drippings. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 8–10 minutes to concentrate flavor.

Strain

Pour the simmering liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan or bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids or reserve shredded roasted vegetables for another use. Return strained liquid to medium heat.

Make cornstarch slurry

In a small bowl, whisk 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water until smooth.

Thicken

Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the simmering strained liquid. Cook, stirring continuously, until the gravy thickens and becomes glossy, about 1–2 minutes. If gravy becomes too thick, stir in up to 2–4 tablespoons additional stock or water to reach desired consistency.

Finish and season

Stir in minced fresh thyme and rosemary and the optional 1 tablespoon butter for sheen. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed (start with an extra 1/2 teaspoon salt). Keep warm until serving.

Serve

Carve the rested chicken and serve with the gravy spooned over the carved pieces or on the side. Leftover gravy will keep refrigerated in a sealed container for 3–4 days.