Roast Chicken in a Pan

Motivation
I saw this recipe in Cook's Illustrated (Sept & Oct 2011) and I was immediately intrigued.  I hate roasting pans.  I hate cleaning them and the roasting racks that nest inside them.  I hate maneuvering them around the kitchen.  I hate trying build a sauce in a monstrosity that doesn't really fit well on my stove top.  This recipe suggested that roasting a chicken in a pan without brining it could produce a good roast chicken in less than an hour.  I am happy to report that this recipe delivers on its promise.

Ingredients
1 Chicken (3 1/2 - 4 lb if possible)
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp pepper
fresh herbs (if available)

Sauce Extras
Flour
Butter (maybe)
Chicken Stock
Herbs
Balsamic Vinegar (maybe)

Mise en Place
This is dead easy.  Place a oven safe pan large enough to hold your chicken in the oven (check to make sure the pan will have enough head room once a chicken is in it) and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F with the pan inside.

Meanwhile mix salt and pepper together in a small bowl that you won't mind contaminating with your raw chicken hands.  Rinse chicken off and pat dry with paper towels.  Rub olive oil all over the surface of the bird.  Sprinkle salt and pepper and rub into skin.  Insert the probe of a probe thermometer into the thigh portion of the chicken (from above so pan won't interfere with the probe).

Method
When oven is preheated remove hot pan and place chicken inside.  It should start to sizzle immediately.  (Part of the theory behind the recipe is that the hot pan gives a jump-start to the legs and thighs which require more heat than the breast portion of the chicken.)  You might want to chunk some fresh herbs into the pan with the chicken if you happen to have them laying around (it's not crucial).  Place pan and chicken back in oven.

Cook until probe in thigh registers 135 degrees F (25-35 minutes).  Then turn the oven off.  Avoid opening the oven so as to not let the heat out.  Let bird continue to coast up to 175 degrees F (another 25-35 minutes).

When bird is done transfer from pan to a plate and let rest for 20 minutes.  Turn your attention to the pan and the drippings left therein and think about making a sauce.  I usually adjust the amount of fat in the pan (add butter if you need more) and toss in some flour to build a roux.  Brown roux a bit then add chicken stock to deglaze the pan and thicken into a gravy.  Adjust salt and pepper as necessary.  I add a bit of balsamic vinegar to it if it needs a bright acidic note.