Roast chicken with sage, lemon and pastis

Roasted us a bird on Saturday night. Roasted it real good, too.
Must be something about staying in on a Saturday night: I feel I should make an effort for dinner so I don't feel so lame about staying home. Not that a chicken is much of an effort, really. And this one was an absolute cinch.
First things first: I am now COMPLETELY CONVERTED to chicken roasting on its side. Heard it all, but ignored it: yeah yeah, I thought. As if that's going to make any difference. But now, after having tasted the Supreme Juiciness of this side-roasted chicken, never ever will I go back!
Once you've had side, you never go back. The only thing was trying to get the bugger to sit comfortably on its side. It kept wanting to roll over onto its bony back, like the dog trying to get its belly scratched. No dice, chicken. Eventually I used the skewer holding it shut as a kind of balancing stick. The chicken attained equilibrium and all was well. And oh baby, was it ever yummy...!

One fat and roastable chicken
Fresh sage leaves
Olive oil
Sea salt
1 lemon
Splash of pastis, Pernod or whatever aniseedy alcohol is lying around

Embrace the chicken. Let it feel your love. Then carefully lift up its skin on the breast and use your fingers to separate as much of the skin from bird as you can. (Note: I have recently begun cooking chicken skin-on, which in my family is like treason. However the flavour benefit cannot be denied, and the skin also keeps the meat from drying out while cooking. So yes, the residual fat is greater, but the flavour is wonderful and the white meat stays juicy. And you don't have to EAT the skin, anyway. I stand by my actions. )
Rip up the sage leaves and shove them under the skin, over the breast and down over the thighs if possible. Rub some olive oil and sea salt under the skin as well, then replace the skin as best you can. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze most of it over the chicken, then shove the empty lemon halves inside the cavity. Splash some pastis inside the cavity, and over the top if you feel like it. Use a skewer to hold the cavity shut and the skin pulled firmly over the breast. Make it sit on its side, and roast for about half an hour or 40 mins at about 190C. Turn the fowl over onto the other side and go again.
Mine was in the oven for about an hour and a half in total, and it was totally cooked through, crispy-skinned, burnished and golden, and super-mega-juicy perfection. I think a slow roast is much better where chicken is concerned.
We served it with roast potatoes and steamed green beans. And napkins!