1 whole (3- to 4-pound) chicken, preferably kosher or farm-raised3 tablespoons olive oil2 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs or 1 teaspoon dried (thyme, rosemary, marjoram, oregano or sage)Salt and freshly ground black pepperTrim excess fat from around the cavity and tuck the wings under the back. Don’t worry about trussing the legs, but you can tie them if you have kitchen string.Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place the chicken, breast down, on a rack in a roasting pan. (If you don’t have a roasting pan or a rack, you can use a heavy, oven-safe dish such as a pie plate.)Place the chicken in the oven. Mix the olive oil, herb, salt and pepper in a small bowl.Let the chicken roast about 20 minutes. Spoon some of the oil mixture over it, turn it breast-side up and spoon some of the oil over the top. Return to the oven for 10 minutes.Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees and baste again. Roast about 30 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 160 to 165 degrees. (An instant-read thermometer is the most reliable way to tell if it’s done, but if you don’t have one, check to make sure a leg wiggles easily and the skin is pulling back from the end of a leg.)Before removing the chicken from the pan, tip the pan to let the juices from the cavity flow into the pan (if they are red, cook 5 minutes longer). Remove the chicken to a platter and let stand about 5 minutes.Pour the juices into a clear measuring cup and pour or spoon off as much of the fat as you can. Reheat the juices and serve them with the chicken.

From “How to Cook Everything,” by Mark Bittman.