When Pam and I were in Paris, we met up with her parents. We had been traveling through Europe and rented an apartment during our stay in Paris. Eager to make a great first impression, I decided to make everyone dinner. No other dish can win over people’s hearts and minds as well as a good roasted chicken — and I wanted, very badly, to win them over. By the end of the night, plates, as well as wine bottles, were empty, and Pam’s mother was pronouncing the roasted chicken to be the best she’d ever had. I wasn’t going to argue with her — I was in love with her daughter, and I desperately wanted her to like me. The chicken, clearly, sealed the deal. So next time, when you’re trying to win someone over, make them this chicken and watch the magic happen.

One of the best things about this chicken (besides its amazing taste), is how hands-off the process is. The thing that will make the most difference in the outcome of your dish is the chicken itself, so seek out the highest quality you can find. Once the chicken is in the oven, you can relax, have a glass of wine, and catch up with your family and friends. And while you relax, the vegetables and potatoes bathe in rendered chicken fat — it doesn’t get much better than that.

Serves 2-4.

Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Vegetables is excerpted from SEASON WITH AUTHORITY: CONFIDENT HOME COOKING © 2015 by Marc Murphy. Photography © 2015 by Cedric Angeles. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.