Slow roasted chicken is, unto itself, a wonderful thing. But, it has a hidden bonus: it makes it’s own sauce. Yes, slow roasting a bird (325 for 60 – 90 min) yields a succulent spectacle of chicken-ness, but wait, there’s more!: all of those lovely juices.
I prefer Central Market’s ‘Air Dried’ natural chicken. A whole bird fits perfectly in a 12 inch cast iron skillet. Which is to say, not much room to spare. This is good, because you don’t want too much. If you have too much, the accumulated liquid will be overly exposed to heat and either cook down too much or burn. Retaining all of it is key. Then, you can reduce and season it on its own, in a more controlled environment.
It may be retro in an era of foams and gels, but I think some nicely roasted root vegetables are always in style. A perfect companion to the chicken.