Roasted Chicken with a Rosemary-Salt Crust

Roasted chicken is something that we make on a weekly basis, and what I love most about chicken is how many ways it can be seasoned and used. Essentially, this means we don't get tired of it because it's a bit different each time. This week I forgot to marinate the chicken overnight as I usually try to do so I decided to be a bit heavy-handed with the seasonings to ensure maximum flavor. What resulted was a mouthwatering, golden, salty crust over a juicy rosemary flavored chicken. Even better, the leftovers were delicious simply chopped and served cold in a salad. Hooray for leftovers!

Ingredients:

• 1 roasting chicken
• 1/3 cup kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 tablespoon cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 

 Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F.
2. Mix the salt, rosemary, and pepper in a small bowl.  Rub the oil all over the chicken. Gently rub the salt mixture all over the chicken. Place the chicken breast-up on a greased and foil-covered roasting pan. Sprinkle any of the remaining salt mixture evenly over the chicken.
3. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 F and bake for an additional 55-65 minutes.
4. Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before carving (I tipped the chicken to let any excess salt fall off).