I spent a couple of years poring through roast chicken recipes from good chefs--Batali, Keller, Bourdain, etc. In the end I've settled on a variant of Keller's because the ratio of yum to work is so high. So here goes.
1. Splurge a little and get a free-range chicken. 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 lbs. For two of us we go on the lighter end and still have plenty for sandwiches the next day plus wings as a starter the following night.
2. 60-90 minutes before you want to cook the bird, pull it out of the fridge, put it in a rack in a roasting pan and sprinkle it liberally with kosher salt. I mean like 3-4tbsp per side.
3. 30 minutes out preheat the oven to 450. Yep, 450. Trust me.
4. Some people say rinse all that salt off. No way. Pour 1/8 to 1/4 cup good olive oil over the bird and rub it all over the skin. Slide it into the oven, still on the rack in the roasting pan.
5. Pull whatever root vegetables you have in the fridge out. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, radishes, etc. Cut them into 1" chunks or so, toss in a large bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Put them too in a roasting pan and drizzle with honey or maple syrup. You should be 15 minutes or so into the cooking now so slide them in next to the chicken (you did buy matching pans that fit side by side in your oven, right?)
6. At 30 minutes for the chicken pull it out, cover the wing tips with foil, turn it around and put it back in.
7. At an even hour pull both out. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, then carve. If you're not super familiar with that check this out - https://www.nytimes.com/video/dining/1194817096866/the-butcher-carves-a-turkey.html - only do it smaller. Place it all on a platter and drizzle with melted butter so you have cow juice on top of egg dads. Serve.
8. Save the carcass and the leg bones afterwards, throw them into a Ziploc and save them for a pot of Mexican chicken-tortilla soup. Recipe to follow.
1. Splurge a little and get a free-range chicken. 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 lbs. For two of us we go on the lighter end and still have plenty for sandwiches the next day plus wings as a starter the following night.
2. 60-90 minutes before you want to cook the bird, pull it out of the fridge, put it in a rack in a roasting pan and sprinkle it liberally with kosher salt. I mean like 3-4tbsp per side.
3. 30 minutes out preheat the oven to 450. Yep, 450. Trust me.
4. Some people say rinse all that salt off. No way. Pour 1/8 to 1/4 cup good olive oil over the bird and rub it all over the skin. Slide it into the oven, still on the rack in the roasting pan.
5. Pull whatever root vegetables you have in the fridge out. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, radishes, etc. Cut them into 1" chunks or so, toss in a large bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Put them too in a roasting pan and drizzle with honey or maple syrup. You should be 15 minutes or so into the cooking now so slide them in next to the chicken (you did buy matching pans that fit side by side in your oven, right?)
6. At 30 minutes for the chicken pull it out, cover the wing tips with foil, turn it around and put it back in.
7. At an even hour pull both out. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, then carve. If you're not super familiar with that check this out - https://www.nytimes.com/video/dining/1194817096866/the-butcher-carves-a-turkey.html - only do it smaller. Place it all on a platter and drizzle with melted butter so you have cow juice on top of egg dads. Serve.
8. Save the carcass and the leg bones afterwards, throw them into a Ziploc and save them for a pot of Mexican chicken-tortilla soup. Recipe to follow.
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