Chicken in a Bag

Here's what we had last night. This is a favorite that I make once or twice a month because a) whole chickens go on sale for really cheap all the time and b) it's fail-proof--I've never had it turn out anything short of delicious.

Chicken in a Bag

1 whole chicken (usually 4-5 pounds)
1 lemon
salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
spices: basil, thyme, tarragon, paprika, cayenne pepper
brown paper bag

Remove extra parts (heart, neck, liver, etc) from chicken and rinse the whole bird. Rub the salt and garlic into the inside cavity. Poke holes in the lemon, squeezing some juice into and onto the chicken. Put the entire lemon into the chicken. Place the whole chicken into the brown paper bag and fold down the top to close. Place the bag onto a cooking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for one hour. Turn the heat down to 350 degrees and cook for another hour (or until done, depending on size of the bird). Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before carving.

A few notes: No, the bag will not catch on fire, although sometimes you can smell the paper browning. Also, the timing is pretty flexible. I've done 1 1/2 hours at 450 and 30 mins at 350 or vice versa, and it has still turned out. I've also cooked a 15 pound turkey this way (increasing the time quite a bit) using an onion instead of a lemon and it was fabulous.