It is said that a great chef is measured by the ability to roast a perfect chicken — a seemingly easy task that is just the opposite. The structure of a chicken and the different densities of its meat serve to challenge even the best cook. A dressed bird has a large hollow cavity with dense, tender, white breast meat that takes a short blast of heat to keep it moist and delicate while the legs and thighs have compact, sinewy dark meat that requires longer cooking to reach the proper degree of tenderness. Each chef has a favorite method of roasting — breast up, breast down, frequent rotating, on a rack or not, and so forth. And all chefs will attest that their chosen method is the best!