Spicy Whole Roasted Chicken With Orange and Rosemary

This is such a good recipe. The chicken really turns out moist - but not falling apart - and full of flavor. The Asian chili paste kicks it up a notch and adds a nice twist. A good recipe for working moms: prepare the chicken in the morning and throw it in the oven when you get home. It'll just be getting done after you've had a chance to sit down, kick your shoes off and have a glass of wine. Note: The recipe does not state whether to cover or not but I do, and take the cover off the last 20-30 minutes or so.

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 (3 1/2-4 lb)  chicken, whole
• 1 1⁄2-2  teaspoons  Asian chili sauce
• 1  small onion, quartered
• 1  orange, sliced
• 3  sprigs rosemary

Directions

1. Remove the chicken's giblets, rinse the bird inside and out, and pat it dry.
2. Heat the oven to 350°F.
3. Rub about half of the chili paste over the inside of the bird and half over the outside. Stuff the cavity of the bird with the onion, orange and rosemary.
4. Season the whole of the chicken with salt and pepper.
5. In a large sauté pan or in a small roasting pan (with or without a rack), roast the bird, periodically basting it with the fragrant juices that accumulate (you may need to tilt the pan at first to collect them) for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size of the bird. (Check by seeing if the juices that result from pricking the thigh run clear, or use a thermometer to check that the temperature of the thigh at its thickest is 165° to 170° F.) Let the bird sit for 10 minutes before carving and serving it.
6. Degrease the pan juices (a gravy separator does this quickly), and pass the juices on the side.