Welcome to StartCooking.com.

Hi, my name is Kathy Maister.

Today, we're gonna roast a chicken.

Buy a chicken with a thermometer already stuck in it.

You'll also need a roasting pan with a rack.

If you don't own one, you can buy a disposable roasting pan at the grocery store for about $4. Then use either

some coiled tinfoil or sliced onions for a rack. If you're using a disposable pan, set

it on a baking sheet with sides. It will give it more stability lifting it in and out of the

oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Check the label on the package of the chicken to see

how much it weighs.

A 5 to 6 pound chicken will take about an hour and three quarters to two hours to cook, and a 6 to 8 pound chicken will take about 2 to 2 and a quarter hours to cook.

Using kitchen shears unwrap the chicken in the sink so the juices don't get all over the counter.

Since all bacteria gets destroyed in the cooking process, it really isn't necessary to rinse

raw poultry before cooking it. Okay, here comes the icky part. We need to remove the innards,

which are called the giblets. They're wrapped in paper and stuffed in the cavity

of the chicken. They're used by some people to make gravy, but I don't even like to look

at them. Wasteful as it is, I just throw the whole packet away. Dry the whole chicken

off with paper towels. Rub one tablespoon of seasoned salt all over the chicken. Sprinkle a

remaining tablespoon inside the chicken. Make sure this little white thermometer is pushed in and securely in place.

Lay the chicken on the rack or the onions with the breast side up.

The legs are on the top.

That's it.

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