Thomas Keller's Roast Chicken

Ingredients:
1 chicken, 2 to 3 pounds
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
unsalted butter
Dijon mustard

Preparing the chicken:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.

Salt and pepper the cavity then truss the bird.

Salt the chicken, about 1 tablespoon, all over. Season to taste with pepper.

Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan and when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. Leave it alone; don't baste it. Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.

Remove the twine. Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately. Remove the legs and thighs. Slather the meat with fresh butter. Serve with mustard on the side and a simple green salad.