Let Your Oven Do the Work

In her latest cookbook, celebrated food writer Diana Henry makes a mouthwatering case for oven-cooking

Chicken and vegetables, rice and beans, a pan of sliced fruit—all transform in the heat of the oven, with little hands-on effort required. Shutterstock

I am an inveterate roaster—it’s my favorite cooking method—partly because it’s easy. 

You don’t have to brown pieces of meat, or nudge the lid on your casserole to regulate the reduction of cooking juices. Beef caramelizes to sweetness, the skin on a chicken becomes crisp with salt and bronzed; you can sense that they will be tender.