• Preheat the oven to 425℉ (220℃).
• Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry.
• Use about ¾ of the prepared yellow onions and mandarins to create a bed for the chicken in a large roasting pan, place the chicken on top, breast side up. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken.
• Stuff the cavity with the remaining onions and mandarins. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the chicken to coat, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Tie the legs together with kitchen string or a roasting band and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.
• Roast the chicken for 1 ½ hours. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken thigh, avoiding bones, and ensure the internal temperature reaches 165℉ (74℃) or cut between a leg and thigh with a sharp knife to ensure the juices run clear. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from the oven and tent with foil for 5-10 minutes. before carving.

For the optional pan gravy:

• Place the chicken on a platter for serving.
• Remove the mandarins and onions from the bottom of the roasting pan, leaving at least 2 tablespoons of the fat from the bottom of the pan. Place the roasting pan over two burners on medium-high, add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Serve with the chicken.