Roast Chicken

I’ve tried birds sealed on high temperature, then roasted at 350, I don’t like them as much unless it’s on a rotisserie where the fat keeps basting the bird, then that’s mmm.  I start with a good quality bird (Mary’s at Whole Foods is good) or see your local farmer.

Truss the bird with the legs and wings close to the body and the breast of the chicken up.Dry the outside and inside of the bird with paper towels and bring the bird to room temperature and preheat the oven to 475F (246C) Lots of kosher salt on the outside and pepper and also inside the cavity.  

Whenever I roast, I roast in a heavy cast iron pan or a blue steel pan.  This conducts heat much better and will make for a much crispier skin.  

put the bird in the oven – after 10 minutes lower to 450F (232C).  Depending on the size I roast for 45-60 minutes, and 10 minutes before it’s done (when it’s light golden brown) I baste the chicken with the pan juices (use a towel to grip the handle…done that before…oW, tilt the pan toward you and use a large spoon to pour the fat on the bird on the top, on the sides, and watch for splatter).  Then put it back in the oven for 5 minutes and let the skin get crispy.  Then put a bunch of thyme and a few cloves of garlic in the chicken fat and baste again.  The bird will continue to cook and the breast will be done before the leg, there’s a small window where everything is perfect.  When you take it out of the oven, place the bird on a wire rack breast side down (flip the bird over) to let the juices get back into the breast. Wait 7-10 minutes.  You could eat this right off the cutting board.  Eat the oysters on the backside and the fatty chicken butt.

In a separate pan, I like to soften chopped shallots in butter, a little white wine, and chicken stock (from your previous bird that you saved the bones from and made), and make a little sauce adding dijon and a little of the pan juices of thyme and garlic and chicken fat.  Emulsify that together and pour on the meat or dip the meat in it.  With a light salad of butter lettuce…it’s very easy and by the time you would have gone out for fast food, you could have drank half a bottle and your chicken almost done. 🙂

Eating right off the cutting board… next to a sink… it’s the best.

I like most eating my bird with pretty much any wine.  Yesterday drank with Pinot Noir