Preheat oven to 450°. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.

Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Salt the chicken with about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Season to taste with pepper.

Place the chicken in a saute pan or roasting pan and put chicken in oven. Roast, without basting bird, until it's done, about 60 minutes (more for slightly larger bird.) Remove chicken from oven and add thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme, and let rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board. Remove twine and carve.