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1
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before roasting. A cold bird placed in a hot oven cooks unevenly; the chicken is ready to proceed when it is no longer cold to the touch at its thickest point.
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2
With the fingers, gently separate the skin from the breast and thigh meat without tearing it. Work the softened butter under the skin in an even layer over both surfaces. Season the bird inside and out with salt and pepper. Truss tightly — the trussed form holds the thighs close to the body, ensuring they cook through while the breast remains moist, and channels the pan juices into the cavity for self-basting.
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3
Heat the oven to 230 °C. Place the chicken breast-side up in a roasting pan and roast at this temperature for 15 minutes. The skin will blister and colour; it should be a deep, even gold across the breast — this initial high heat seals the skin.
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4
Reduce the oven to 200 °C. Continue roasting, basting every 10–15 minutes by spooning the collected pan juices over the skin. This is where the dish lives or dies: the basting must not be neglected, and the intervals must not lengthen — the fat and juices pooling in the trussed cavity are the engine of both colour and moisture, and a single missed cycle will dry the breast before the thigh is cooked through.
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5
After approximately 45–55 minutes total roasting time, tilt the chicken so the cavity faces down over the pan. The juices that run out must be clear, with no trace of pink. Pink juices indicate the thigh is not yet cooked through; return the bird to the oven and continue basting until the test is passed.
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6
Transfer the chicken to a warm board or rack and rest for a minimum of 15 minutes — longer for a large bird. The muscle fibres relax and the juices redistribute; a bird carved before this rest will be noticeably drier. The skin, which will have softened slightly in the steam of resting, will firm again on carving.