This weekend we were staying with our friends, and telling them how much we love the Trader Joe’s roasting chicken. They love their farmer’s market one, so we thought we’d do a taste test. Then it somehow turned into a throw-down, between my husband Matt, and our friend Stephanie. She is a big believer in the Marcella Hazan method, which is to begin with the bird roasting upside down, so it’s self-basting. She stuffs hers with lemon. Matt stuffs his bird with an onion, a lemon, and a thyme rub on the outside.

(that’s Stephanie’s above, and Matt’s below)

The judges were conflicted. They liked the flavor of Matt’s, but preferred the juiciness of Stephanie’s, along with the actual taste of her bird.

Stephanie was the winner. But we all agreed that if you combined Matt’s seasoning, with Stephanie’s method, you’d have a roast chicken that everyone would talk about for days.