Why Not Hot?

• When you've taken the time and effort to prepare a full-bore meal, it seems counterintuitive to leave the main feature sitting on a cutting board or serving tray. Whisking it to the table while it's hot and fresh is the more obvious choice, so the chicken can fill your dining room with the rich aromas of the golden-roasted bird. Even so, cooks who insist on resting their roasted chicken base their belief on a number of excellent reasons.

Not Losing It

• The juices that collect in the bottom of your roasting pan are an inevitable byproduct of a roasted bird, and they're usually put to good use in the form of a rich gravy to go with the bird. Juices collecting on your serving tray or cutting board are less welcome. As the protein molecules in your chicken heat in the oven, they contract like a strip of bacon on a hot griddle. That reduces their ability to hold onto the moisture that usually fills the bird's muscle tissue, which is squeezed out by the pressure. Much of that moisture remains in the bird, unless you carve it prematurely.

Keeping It Moist

• If you restrain yourself from cutting into the chicken for at least 15 minutes and preferably 20, in the case of a large roaster, good things begin to happen. With the oven's heat taken away, those muscle proteins begin to cool and relax. When that happens, any juices that are still held within the chicken's muscles can be reabsorbed by the cells, which now regain part of their liquid-holding capacity. As a secondary benefit, the chicken's proteins "set" and become firm as they cool, just as a loaf of bread does. When you carve a well-rested chicken, you'll get clean, smooth slices rather than flaky strips that fall apart as the knife passes through them.

A Few Other Points

• From a practical perspective, allowing time for your chicken to rest can make mealtime a lot easier. You'll have time and opportunity to finish your side dishes and gravy without haste or pressure, and you can even attend to minor last-minute crises with kids, pets or late-arriving guests. Resting the bird is an especially good technique if you plan to carve it at the table, where clean, professional-looking slices will help make the right impression. You can help your cause substantially by keeping a sharp knife on hand for carving. A dull knife exerts unnecessary pressure on the chicken, squeezing out the juices even when the chicken is well rested.