Mediterranean Oven Rotisserie-Style Chicken

Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the middle. Remove any giblets, pat the chicken very dry inside and out with paper towels, and set it on a cutting board.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and black pepper.

Stir the rub into a loose, evenly mixed paste.

Gently loosen the skin over the breast and thighs with your fingers, rub about half of the paste on the meat underneath, then rub the rest all over the outside of the chicken.

Put the lemon quarters and the rosemary or thyme sprigs inside the cavity.

Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the body, so the chicken roasts evenly.

Set the chicken breast-side up in a roasting pan or a large oven-safe skillet and roast for 45 minutes.

Keep roasting for 20–40 minutes more, until the skin is deep golden brown and crisp; if it darkens too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.

Check with an instant-read thermometer: the chicken is done when the thickest part of the thigh (not touching the bone) and the thickest part of the breast both read at least 165°F (74°C). If not, roast 5–10 minutes more and check again.

Lift the chicken onto a cutting board and let it rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes so the juices settle back into the meat.

Remove the twine, carve the chicken and serve with the pan juices spooned over, alongside toum, warm pita and a crisp salad.