Juicy Baked Chicken

I think we have 17 chickens left out of the 25 we butchered about 2 months ago ... and they sure taste good!! Here I'm sharing our favorite way to prepare them: Baked (some might call it roasted but it's baked). I numbered the photos above - can you see them? I hope so!
1. Begin with a rack in a roasting pan.
2. Put the raw chicken BREAST SIDE DOWN onto the rack. Even with store-bought chicken, cooking it this way makes for a juicier breast ... I guess because all of the juices go down into the breast instead of the back?
3. Rub with butter and sprinkle with seasonings. I like to use poultry seasoning, garlic granules, onion granules and celery salt. I also put a little butter, fresh chopped onion and celery inside the body cavity.
4. Bake uncovered at 350* for about 20 minutes per pound. Using a meat thermometer will ensure doneness (165* in the fleshy / thickest part of bird, which is usually the thigh) however if you do not have one just poke around deep into the flesh with a fork and see if the juices run clear. If ANY pink runs out it is not done.
5. Remove the bird into a dish; picture number 5 shows what it looks breast-side-up when done. Not as pretty as the back!
6. Cut into desired pieces. Here in #6 I have the leg quarters and the breasts in separate pieces in a casserole dish. The oven is off but still warm ... put the lid on and keep in the warm oven until ready to serve.

Pick off any remaining meat from the bones. Save the bones, the skin AND the drippings in the pan (unless you are making gravy!) for chicken stock. I'll share how I do this some other time.

Enjoy!