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Place the lemon quarters, bay leaves, and peppercorns inside the chicken, then truss the bird with butcher’s twine.

Place the chicken on the grape-leaf bed, then cover the chicken with the remaining grape leaves, leaving no exposed holes. Fold up any exposed leaves on the grape-leaf bed to meet those already on the chicken.

Gently mound the remaining salt dough onto the leaves, thereby covering the chicken but taking care not to disturb the leaves. Mold the salt mixture to the bird’s shape. Seal any and all cracks by wetting your hands and patting the salt in place.

Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 160°F (our preference) or 175°F (the USDA recommendation), about 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes (see Note). Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. (In this case, the internal temperature will rise in the salt dome as the chicken sits.)

Whack the crust a couple of times with a meat mallet to break it. Carefully remove the pieces, making sure they don’t crumble into the meat. Remove and discard the grape leaves, lemon wedges, bay leaves, and peppercorns; transfer the chicken to a board for carving.

Note: To test for doneness, push an instant-read thermometer into the chicken through the salt crust, eyeing where the thigh is through the crust itself. If you’re unsure of placement, make a little finger indention in the crust as you’re shaping it to show you where to guide the thermometer in. Or use an old-fashioned, oven-safe probe. Once the chicken is covered in the leaves, insert the probe into the thickest section of the thigh through the leaves, then build the salt crust over the bird and around the probe, leaving its display sticking outside the crust, which should hold it in place while the chicken roasts.

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Carving a Whole Chicken

It’s really just a matter of finding the joints which have been loosened significantly by the heat. You can usually wiggle them apart, cutting through the skin and any remaining meat with a sharp knife.

Start by removing the thigh/leg quarters. Pull one whole quarter back from the body until you hear the joint pop, then insert the tip of your knife into the now-loosened joint and slice down. Do the same with the smaller joint between each thigh and leg.

Place the body breast side up on a large cutting board. Insert a large knife into the main cavity, position the blade to one side of the spine, and slice down through the ribs. Repeat on the other side of the spine before removing it.

Now turn the chicken breast side down and cut straight down through the breastbone and its cartilage, dividing the breast in half. This takes work, especially in larger birds. Cut the breast/wing sections into three pieces the short way, leaving the wing attached to one as its serving piece.

Alternatively, pull the wings back until the joint pops, insert the knife at an angle into this joint’s center, and slice off the wing without taking off too much breast meat. Follow the contour of the breastbone and slice down to remove the breast meat on each side as a fillet. Lay these skin side up on your carving board and cut into slices against the grain (that is, the short way, or at a diagonal the short way for slightly longer slices).

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Stewed Chicken

Time was, we were addicted to this dish at New York’s Second Avenue Deli. The restaurant’s gone now, but we continue to make this simple comfort food at home: a whole chicken, stewed with vegetables, served with noodles and the broth. Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

One 4-to 5-pound whole chicken, giblets and neck removed, trussed with butcher’s twine

3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

2 medium leeks, white and pale green parts only, split lengthwise, the inner layers washed carefully of any sand, then sliced into 2-inch pieces

2 celery ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 parsnip, peeled, cut into 2-inch sections, and each cut into lengthwise quarters

1 bay leaf

About 6 cups chicken broth, or enough just to cover the bird