Prepare the bird: Remove the chicken from its packaging and check the cavinty. Sometimes the cavity will hold organs or pieces of the bird. If so, remove this bag from your bird's cavity and discard.

Place the bird on a large plastic cutting board, breast side up. Blot dry with a paper towel.

Begin to season the bird by dousing it with olive oil (or melted butter if using) and a few suqeezes of lemon juice. Then generously sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic, and any other desired seasonings of choice (such as paprika, garlic powder, or cumin).

Once the bird is seasoned, transfer to a baking dish: a cast iron skillet works well. You may also try an oval baking dish. You may even use a 9x13" baking dish if that is what is available to you.

Place the chicken in the oven, uncovered for 45 minutes. Check the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer. The most dense part of the bird must read 165 F. If the bird is not at 165 F, continue to cook until it reaches that temperature internally.

Note: If the skin is becoming too crisp, yet the bird is not cooked, cover loosely with foil until it comes to temperature.

After the chicken is roasted, allow it to rest for 15 minutes before carving. Carve with a sharp knife starting with the breasts, then moving to the thighs and wings.