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transfer the “pickled” onions and peppers to a heatproof bowl, leaving the oil in the skillet. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and wait for about 2 minutes, or until the bits of stray onion in the skillet begin to brown. Then add the fillets, two at a time, skin side down first, and fry until lightly golden brown, about 3 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes on the second side. Reserve the first batch on a plate lined with a double thickness of paper towels set in a warm place, like the back of the stove, while you fry the rest.

4 Place a fillet on each of 4 plates and spoon the peppers and onions on top of them. Serve immediately.

WHOLE ROASTED CHICKEN WITH POTATOES AND ONIONS

serves 4 • TIME: 1½ hours, plus 10 minutes resting

The perfect roast chicken is a kind of holy grail for most chefs—easy to make but difficult to master. Optimizing the way the chicken is cooked so that the thigh joints are done, the breast is still moist, and the skin is crisp is just one aspect of the challenge; perfecting the flavor is another.

We find that our approach to roast chicken has followed pendulum swings across the years, sometimes toward greater complexity—sneaking seasoned butter rubs under the skin, for example, or brining, trussing, or stuffing—and then back in other years to a salt-and-pepper-only minimalism. It’s hard to say how the basic roast chicken could be improved, and yet we still try.

Over 25 birds came and went as we experimented and arrived at our current strategy for perfect roast chicken, which could be called minimal-plus: the bird is unstuffed, untrussed, unfussed-with, but flipped once during the roasting. It rests on a bed of crudely cut onions, carrots, and potatoes. The benefit of the veggie bed is a chicken that roasts above its fat and comes with its own luscious side dish. We think you’ll appreciate the nuances of this recipe, whether you’ve mastered your own roast chicken or not.

About that chicken: whenever it’s available—and if we can afford it—we use birds that are raised naturally and minimally processed, often identifiable by the distinctly white pallor to the skin. Yellow-skin chickens (tints are added to their feed to create that effect) are typically the least interesting chickens out there, in terms of flavor and texture. Tasting around, we’ve discovered that when it comes to chickens, you truly get what you pay for. And if the Ferrari of chickens can be had for the price of a so-so bottle of wine, why wouldn’t you treat yourself to the best midweek dinner there is?

1 large yellow or white onion, quartered

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks

1 pound Yukon Gold or other waxy yellow potatoes, cut into 1½-inch pieces

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

One 3½-pound whole chicken, giblets removed, rinsed and dried inside and out

1 large lemon, halved

½ cup chicken broth

½ cup dry white wine

1 Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack positioned in the middle of the oven.

2 Combine the onion, carrot, and potatoes in a medium cast-iron skillet or 2-quart ovenproof baking dish. Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper, and toss until they’re evenly coated with the oil and seasonings. Place the chicken, breast side down, on the vegetables and squeeze one lemon half all over the back. Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, then remove briefly from the oven.

3 Lift the bird (you may prefer to transfer it to a cutting board), pour the broth and wine over the vegetables in the pan, and move them around a bit with a wooden spoon. Using two sets of tongs, or one set of tongs and a large metal spoon inserted in the cavity, flip the bird over so that it is breast side up. Squeeze the remaining lemon half over the chicken and season it with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Roast until the skin is nicely browned on top, about 40 minutes.

4 Transfer