Washington Post. No fuss way to cook chicken, also makes chicken broth. The recipe originally only added water in step 4, I've added the other ingredients which are typical for making chicken stock. See my notes below.
Ingredients
3 to 3-1/2 lb chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
6 cups or so of water
3 carrots peeled and cut in chunks
3 stalks celery cut in chunks
2 small to medium yellow onions cut in chunks (it isn't necessary to remove all the peel)
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp whole cloves
Instructions
1. Rinse chicken inside and out and pat dry with paper towel. Set on a large plate and season aggressively with kosher salt inside and out. Refrigerate uncovered for 8 to 24 hours.
2. Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 450 degrees.
3. Place chicken in dutch oven (8-quart), season with black pepper. Roast uncovered for 35 - 45 minutes or until skin has browned. Remove from oven leaving the door ajar and reduce temperature to 200 degrees.
4. Add water to pot as needed to come about 2/3s on the sides. Add carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves, and cloves. Cover and return to oven. Slow roast undisturbed for 6 to 8 hours.
5. Remove from oven and let cool until it can be handled. Remove chicken and shred meat. Strain broth through strainer basket lined with cheesecloth.
NOTES
I've made this a couple times now and it really is an excellent and relatively easy way to get shredded chicken meat plus chicken stock (it makes about two quarts plus 3 cups of stock). The ingredients added in step 4 are my own addition. Other additions could include some stalks of thyme, parsley, rosemary or cloves of garlic (I actually don't like adding garlic when making stock, which is odd because I love garlic), but for me the ones listed are just right. The stock is delicious and it's hard not to just drink it by the glass.