• Three days in advance (can be less) clean chicken, salt inside and outside. Loosen skin between breast and as much as leg and thigh you can without ripping skin.
• Wrap loosely in plastic wrap or plastic bag. Refrigerate.
• Take chicken out one hour before roasting.Stuff chicken with herbs underneath the skin.
• Preheat oven to 450 F. If making the bread salad, now is a good time to toast the torn bread pieces.
• Heat a cast iron frying pan in oven for at least 10 minutes. You can use a baking sheet, but cast iron pan is perfect for this high heat.
• Put chicken in heated pan, breast side up.
• Turn chicken over after 25 minutes, at which time chicken should easily yield. If not cook a little longer.
• I like to turn the chicken back over for the last five minutes. Chicken should be golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before carving.

Bread Salad

• This can be made prepped while chicken is in the oven.
• Brush bread with olive oil. Toast bread and nuts until golden, about 5 minutes.
• Combine olive oil with champagne vinegar.
• Put currants or raisins in red wine vinegar to moisten. Set aside.
• When ready to assemble toss bread and arugula with olive oil mixture.
• Toss bread with olive oil mixture.
• Saute scallions and garlic in a little olive oil. Add currents or raisins and add to the bread salad.
• Drizzle some of the pan juices (from the chicken) onto the bread salad. Season with salt.
• Put chicken on platter with bread salad.
• Serve with optional pomegranate garnish, and roasted squash.
• Baked squash recipe can be found here.