perfect roasted chicken

1 4 1/2-5 pound chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season liberally, inside and out, with salt and pepper.
3. Tuck the wings under the bird.
4. Cut a slit into each flap of skin next to the legs, and tuck each leg into the opposite slit.
5. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and roast for 15 minutes.
6. Decrease oven temperature to 375 degrees F and roast for an hour and 15 minutes.
7. Remove chicken and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.