Barefoot Contessa star Ina Garten is known for her delicious, comforting recipes and iconic dinner parties. And it always seems like her warm and nurturing vibes extend beyond her kitchen and into ours, as she’s always sharing her best tips for cooking up something incredible. 

Garten recently took to Instagram to share some of her knowledge during an “Ask Ina” clip. She reveals the one recipe she thinks everyone should learn to make, which is a simple whole roasted chicken. She chooses to roast the bird with some veggies to make a balanced meal and gives an in-depth tutorial on the most intimidating part—carving the chicken.

First, she starts by cutting the string that she used to tie the legs together and then cuts off the legs themselves, guiding viewers to “pull down and give your knife a wiggle until you find where the bone is attached.” After removing the legs, she separates the thighs and plates them immediately, since the thighs are typically smaller and don’t need further carving. 

Then she moves on to the breast, where she says things “get interesting.” Instead of slicing the breast lengthwise, which results in an almost shredded texture, she follows a trick she borrowed from famed chef Julia Child. She removes the entire breast before slicing it across in thicker slices, which ensures that each portion gets enough meat and crispy roasted skin.

One of the benefits of roasting a chicken that Garten highlights (besides a delicious meal) is the warm and comforting aroma that wafts through her home, “It’s just very homey, and it’s a remembered flavor which makes us all feel good,” she says. We can agree that the comforting nostalgia is so worth the effort it takes to prepare this classic dish. 

Roasting a chicken doesn’t mean you’ll have just one meal—there are plenty of tricks and tips to get the most out of this one recipe. Start out with our Basic Whole Roast Chicken and you’ll be set for several tasty dishes. 

Maybe you incorporate it into a homemade stock and freeze it to use in soups. Or try some of our tasty recipes that utilize cooked chicken, like Sheet-Pan Crispy Chicken Tacos or Agrodolce Zucchini & Chicken Pasta. No matter how you serve it, we wholeheartedly agree with Ina’s belief that a roast chicken is simply a must when it comes to brushing up on your basic cooking skills.