Every cook has a different recipe for roast chicken–some brine, some truss, some baste, and some do all three. I’ve made roast chicken the same fuss-free way for years: by letting a seasoned chicken air-dry in the fridge for two days. (Most recipes just call for a sprinkle of salt, pepper and herbs before the chicken goes into the oven, and the seasoning just doesn’t have the chance to penetrate the meat very well. After being seasoned for two days, the chicken becomes very flavorful all the way to the bone, just as it should be.) I’ve found that brining doesn’t make much of a difference, as long as you start out with a good chicken, and don’t overcook it. I don’t truss, because by the time the dark meat is cooked, the white meat is dry. And I don’t baste, because, well, I did it once years ago and couldn’t really tell the difference. So now I don’t baste because I’m lazy, and not a fan of creating extra steps to make cooking harder.

I tossed some cubed bread on the bottom of the pan to absorb the luscious drippings, then tossed it with arugula, baby heirlooms, lemon, shallot, and bacon. We ate the whole chicken. And it was delicious.