Simple Roast Chicken
1 (4- to 5-pound) roasting chicken
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 medium onion, trimmed and quartered
1 celery stalk, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 medium carrot, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 garlic clove
1 bay leaf
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken under cold water; pat dry. Trim fat from chicken. Combine pepper and paprika. Sprinkle seasoning mixture over breast, drumsticks, and into the body cavity. Place onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and bay leaf in body cavity. Tie ends of legs together with cord. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken. Place chicken, breast side up, on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Insert meat thermometer into meaty part of thigh, making sure not to touch bone. Bake at 400°F for 1 hour or until meat thermometer registers 180°F. Cover chicken loosely with foil; let stand 10 minutes. Discard skin, vegetables, and bay leaf. Save the carcass and make delicious Chicken Stock!