Classic Roast Chicken

Ingredients

1⁄2 cup salt
1⁄2 cup sugar
1 (3-pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pepper

Dissolve salt and sugar in 2 quarts cold water in large container. Submerge chicken in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels.
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place roasting pan on rack, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat V-rack with vegetable oil spray and set aside.
Use your fingers to gently loosen center portion of skin covering each breast; place butter under skin, directly on meat in center of each breast. Gently press on skin to distribute butter over meat. Tuck wings behind back. Rub skin with oil, season with pepper, and place chicken, wing side up, on prepared V-rack. Place V-rack in preheated roasting pan and roast for 15 minutes.
Remove roasting pan from oven and, using 2 large wads of paper towels, rotate chicken so that opposite wing side is facing up. Return roasting pan to oven and roast for another 15 minutes.
Using 2 large wads of paper towels, rotate chicken again so that breast side is facing up and continue to roast until breast registers 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, about 20 to 25 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to carving board and let rest for 10 minutes. Carve and serve immediately.