Smoked-Paprika Roasted Chicken

I know my gardening buddies will recognize the Revol baking dish, as several of us bought the same one and had an internet cook-along event using our chicken roasters about a year ago. It was great fun!

This is the first recipe I made in mine, it's another from

Christina's Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from a Northwest Island Kitchen

When I want something than a regular roasted chicken, I choose either this one or one of Marcella Hazan's.

First the chicken seasoned with thyme, smoked paprika and garlic, then drizzled with olive oil and allowed to marinate at least one hour before roasting. I marinate it overnight for deeper flavor. The chicken bakes off with deliciously dark, and crispy skin. The meat is moist, succulent and has a slightly smoky flavor from the paprika, it's absolutely delicious, and if there is any left over it makes a wonderful sandwich the next day.

Place the chicken in a non-reactive pan, dust generously with thyme, pepper, paprika and salt. Rub all over with the minced garlic and then drizzle with the olive oil. Marinate in refrigerator at least one hour, or preferably overnight.

When ready to roast, remove chicken from refrigerator and tuck wings to the back (Julia Child referred to this as "wings akimbo"), it's the way I always position the wings on a whole bird as it keeps them from overcooking, or browning prematurely. Truss the legs together (simply tie the ends of the legs together, not too tightly, with a piece of kitchen twine or an oven-proof silicone band made for this purpose.)

I urge you not to skip this step as it helps the bird cook evenly and stay moist.

Preheat oven to 400-degrees (F).

Place the trussed chicken in a roasting pan, breast side up. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until skin is crispy and deeply golden. The juices will run clear, test with an instant read thermometer near the thickest part of the thigh if you are not sure.

Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil. For maximum juiciness keep the chicken warm and let it to rest for about 15 minutes to allow meat to relax and juices to retreat before carving.

Chicken prepared this way is meant to be served with Christina's Corn Pudding (click to link to the recipe), it provides a perfect balance in flavors. If you make the chicken this way, I hope you'll prepare the corn pudding, too.