How does one roast a chicken? Well, one could do it with stuffing. Without. Rubbing butter on the skin. Marinading. Stuffing the chicken with a duck stuffed with a pigeon (if you're not into the whole brevity thing). After this last foray into chicken roasting, however, I've become firmly convinced that the best method is the simplest one of all.
And all the glory, naturally, goes to Thomas Keller. A room-temperature chicken (to ensure even cooking throughout) is trussed, salted and peppered, tossed with a few herbs and roasted at a high temperature in a cast-iron skillet. It couldn't be easier. Or more rewarding. I have to admit that I think I tried this recipe once before and remember it turning out incredibly dry, but I think that might have been because I skipped the bring-to-room-temperature step. Trust me, if there is a crucial time-heavy step included in a recipe, odds are I've tried to find a way around it, usually to the detriment of all (in this case, myself and that poor chicken.)
This time, however, the chicken came out with beautifully crispy, flavorful skin and incredibly moist, tasty meat (even in the breast, which is incredibly prone to drying out). It was delicious. I roasted mine at 425 for about an hour, then checked it for doneness and roasted it at 400 for another 20 minutes or so. I would just eyeball it or use a meat thermometer.
As for the recipe, who better to tell you than the man himself?
Simple and delicious. Enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment