This is how I get the crispiest skin and the most beautifully seasoned meat.
Salt ahead. Up to three days before, salt each chicken with at least a tablespoon of kosher salt and leave it uncovered in the fridge. It’s a kind of dry brine. It draws moisture from the skin and seasons the flesh, and you won’t need any more salt. I never go bigger than a 1.2kg bird, so for five people I roast two.
Roast hot. Pat the chickens dry, preheat the oven to 230°C and heat the roasting tray on the hob first. Chickens go in legs pointing to the back of the oven, because the legs take longer. After 30 minutes, give the tray a jiggle and loosen them if they’re stuck, then carry on until done. Save the bones for stock!