Whole-Roasted Chipotle Chicken

Servings: 4 servings

Time:

Ingredients:

One 4-pound whole chicken, innards reserved for another use or discarded

2 chipotle peppers plus 2 tablespoons sauce from a can of chipotle in adobo sauce

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Put the whole chicken on a plate and place it uncovered in the fridge for 2 to 4 hours. This will help dry out the skin a little and get it crispier.

2. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

3. Add the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce and olive oil to a small food processor and blitz until blended together, about 30 seconds.

4. Place the chicken on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Loosen the skin from around the breasts and rub the chipotle mixture underneath the skin and all over the chicken, including inside the cavity. Sprinkle with the salt. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Turn the wings under each breast; you may need to break a joint to do this.

5. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300°F and roast for another 60 to 75 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 165°F or the juices run clear at a small cut in the thickest part of the thigh.

6. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before carving.