You can roast a whole chicken quite easily.
You can also cook the whole chicken (just simmer it in a pot of water to cover) until the meat falls off the bone, then remove skin, bones and gristle and use the meat in other recipes (soups, stews, tacos, etcetera) and the resulting liquid for stock.
Here is a good roast chicken recipe:
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup Kosher or coarse salt
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
3 cups orange juice
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds)
Orange wedges and fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
In a 3 quart glass bowl, combine hot water, salt and brown sugar; stir to dissolve salt and sugar. Add orange juice, onion, garlic, cumin and black pepper; stir to combine.
Place chicken in the bowl, breast side down. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Use your hands or a slotted spoon to remove half of the sliced onions from the liquid, then place the onions in the bottom of a roasting pan.
Lift the chicken from the liquid (let the excess drain back into the bowl). Discard liquid and remaining onion.
Place chicken on top of onion in the roasting pan, breast side up. Roast uncovered for about an hour, or until instant read meat thermometer inserted into thigh reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
(After 30 minutes, use foil to cover wing tips and any other parts of the chicken that may be browning too quickly.)
Remove chicken from oven and let stand tented with foil for 10 minutes before carving. Serve garnished with orange slices and parsley sprigs (if desired).
