Jacques Pépin's Classic Roast Chicken (Butter, Salt and Pepper)

• 1 whole chicken, about 3½ lb (1.6 kg)
• 1 tbsp butter
• salt, inside and out (to taste)
• freshly ground black pepper, inside and out (about ¼ tsp, our estimate)
• ½ cup chicken stock, for the jus, to serve (optional)
• a dash of soy sauce, for the jus, to serve (optional)
• 1 tsp potato starch, for the jus, to serve (optional)

Method

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

1. Heat the oven to 220 °C (425 °F). Cut out the wishbone so the breast is easier to carve, then truss the chicken with butcher's twine so it keeps a neat shape. 0:16
2. Melt the butter in a roasting pan. Season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper and roll it in the butter. 1:59
3. Lay the chicken on one side, leg up, and roast 20 minutes — the legs need longer than the breast. Turn it onto the other side and roast 20 minutes more. 3:04
4. Turn it breast up and roast a final 20 minutes, basting with the pan juices every 5 minutes or so, until the juices at the thigh joint run clear — about 1 hour in all. 3:40
5. Rest the chicken uncovered for a few minutes; covering it with foil steams and softens the skin. 4:29
6. For the jus (optional), pour off all but about 1 tbsp fat, add the stock and scrape up the browned bits. Add a dash of soy for colour and thicken with the potato starch mixed with a little cold water. 5:00
7. Remove the twine and carve: the legs first, then each breast along the breastbone. Serve with the jus. 7:20

Tip. Serves 4 is our estimate. Jacques serves it on watercress leaves (not counted). Save the clear fat you pour off for roasting potatoes. Skip the jus, which has soy sauce and starch, for strict carnivore.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.