Friday Night Roast Chicken & Potatoes

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 415.
2. Scrub and dry your potatoes, and then halve them lengthwise.
3. Scatter potatoes in the bottom of a 12-inch cast iron skillet, or roasting pan, and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
4. Unwrap your chicken and pat it dry, making sure to check the cavity for giblets, etc.
5. Very generously season the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper. Sometimes I like to toss in a halved head of garlic or some herbs, it's really up to you and whatever you have in your pantry.
6. Quarter the lemon and add it inside the chicken as well.
7. Set the chicken on a cutting board and drizzle with olive oil, making sure to massage it into the bird, getting in all the little nooks and crannies and all around the wings and legs.
8. Season the outside of the bird with salt and pepper, and paprika. The paprika adds a lovely color to the finished bird.
9. Set the chicken over the potatoes and roast in the oven for an hour and a half, or until the juices run clear. The potatoes will essentially baste in all the fat of the chicken and crisp up nicely.
10. When it's time to eat, carefully remove the lemon and squeeze the juice all over the bird. Serve with the potatoes, a salad, and challah to soak up all the delicious juices.