Whole Roast Chicken with Rosemary Potatoes

When somebody raises birds at home, the table should make room for a proper roast. The potatoes catch the drippings, the rosemary does just enough, and the whole bird gets the kind of treatment that turns dinner into the first chapter of several more meals.

1 whole chicken
1 1/2 pounds potatoes
2 rosemary sprigs
4 garlic cloves
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper

Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dry the chicken thoroughly, season it inside and out, and tuck the wings behind the bird.
Toss the potatoes with oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and spread them in a roasting pan with the garlic cloves.
Set the chicken on top or on a rack over the potatoes and roast until the breast and thigh are fully cooked and the skin is dark golden, 70 to 85 minutes.
Rest the bird for at least 15 minutes before carving so the juices settle and the potatoes finish absorbing the drippings.

Save the carcass and pan drippings for stock; they make the next soup or braise much stronger.