Roast Chicken for Christmas

Salt the chicken:

1. Salt: Remove the giblets from the chicken cavity (Note 6). Rub with salt all over, inside and outside, under the wings as well. Refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours.

Prepare for roasting:

1. Let come to room temperature for about 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 480 degrees Fahrenheit (250 degrees Celsius). Line a roasting tin with aluminum foil.
3. Dry the skin and the chicken cavity with paper towels to remove the excess salt and moisture.
4. Seasoning: Mix the oil with another ½ teaspoon salt, ground black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and thyme. Rub the bird thoroughly with the mixture, inside and outside.
5. Oranges: Wash them with hot water. Dry and cut them into quarters. Place about half of the quarters (or as many as you can fit it) in the cavity.
6. Tie the chicken's legs with kitchen string, tuck wing tips under the chicken.

Roast:

1. Roast at high temperature: Place chicken into the prepared roasting tin. Roast for 15 minutes at 480 degrees Fahrenheit (250 degrees Celsius).
2. Reduce temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) and continue roasting until cooked through; it took me another hour and 30 minutes. The roasting time depends very much on the size of the chicken; if your bird is smaller, don't overcook it! Start checking with a digital meat thermometer after one hour already and keep checking until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius).

Gravy:

1. Rest on a warm platter for 10 minutes. Make the gravy in the meantime.
2. Gravy: Pour the pan juices into a small saucepan, add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Whisk in the flour. Bring to a boil while whisking continuously and simmer for 2-3 minutes on low heat until thickened.

Carve:

1. Remove the string and stuffing and carve the bird with a sharp knife.Carve: Cut the legs at the joint, then separate the drumsticks from the thighs. Next, divide the wings cutting through the joint. Finally, cut the chicken breasts off the bone and slice them.
2. Arrange on a serving platter.