On my walk home from the subway at the end of yesterday’s big snowstorm, I planted my foot in a giant, slushy mud puddle, which seeped into my boots (which apparently have lost their protective, waterproof seal), soaking my socks. Now, this tragedy by itself is not enough to ruffle the feathers of a New Yorker such as myself, but the incident was followed, not five seconds later, by me getting splashed by a passing bus, which covered me from head to toe in disgusting, frozen slush. Children pointed and laughed. So did their parents.

 I’m guessing that, when faced with this unfortunate sequence of events, most reasonable people would have picked up the pace and hightailed it home for a nice bath and Thai delivery, but not me. Instead, I was craving one specific comfort food item, which is why I found myself ducking into the market for a organic, free-range bird, weighing just shy of 4 pounds, and then hightailing it home.

One of the simplest and quickest recipes for good roast chicken is Ina Garten’s. It stars the drool-inducing combination of lemons and thyme, it roasts relatively fast, and there is very little prep. I also tried a great new technique that my friend Eva learned from her mom; brush the bird with soy sauce before roasting to give the skin a wonderful golden color and crispy texture.

Of course, my spontaneity rendered me ill-prepared, and I lacked both the requisite yellow onion and bulb of fennel that the recipe required. I compensated with extra garlic and carrots and still got amazing results.

A little chopping and stuffing, and before I knew it, my apartment was filled with the delicious herb-y scent of roast chicken.

By the time it was ready, I had unwound and relaxed. The chicken came out perfectly, full of great flavors, nice and juicy, with a crispy, salty skin. When served with a simple mixed green salad it made a comforting, yet not overly unhealthy meal, perfect for snowy Monday nights.

Perfect Roast Chicken 
Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs

1 lemon, halved

1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise

4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks

1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges ( I omitted, but I recommend)

Olive oil

Soy sauce

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the soy sauce and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the carrots and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.