Roasted Chicken

I use one of those ceramic chicken roasting thingies where you can put liquid into the center cup and then you place the chicken over that. Sound right? You can get a chicken roaster at like Bed, Bath, and Beyond for like $30 and it's nice to get the beer (or wine or whatever) flavor in the chicken.

WARNING: this makes a mess in your oven. And if you truly "roast" the chicken at 500 deg, instead of 475 like I have listed, your oven might smoke and set off your smoke alarm. I wouldn't know anything about this. My friend told me it happened to him. I swear.

Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): zilch
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 7
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 5


Roasted Chicken
3-4 lb whole chicken
1 lemon, halved
1 beer
4 whole garlic cloves
4-6 Tbl butter
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Favorite dried herb

Preheat oven to 475 deg. Remove giblets, livers, etc from chicken cavity. Gently place your fingers in between chicken and skin and try to loosen skin from chicken slightly. With salt, pepper, and herbs in your fingers, try to rub some of the seasoning on the chicken below the skin, being careful not tear the skin. Take butter table spoons and place under skin as well. In cavity of chicken place garlic cloves and lemon halves. Pour beer into center cup of chicken roaster and place chicken, legs down, on top of cup of beer into roaster (being careful not to let garlic or lemon fall out). Season all of outside of chicken skin with salt, pepper, and herbs.

Place chicken in oven and roast for 50-60 minutes, or until juices run clear and skin crispy.

You can use some of the liquid in pan when chicken is fully cooked to make your gravy, but most would recommend you separate the fat first, which I don't have the patience or gadgets to do.