Roast Chicken from David Kinch
Roast Chicken from David Kinch
A roast chicken is my favorite thing to make and to eat. Done correctly, I believe it’s one of the grandest dishes of all time. In fact, there’s very little I’d rather be doing than making a roast chicken for someone I love.
In other words, this recipe is the result of countless chickens that have passed through my home oven. If I’ve learned anything over many years of roasting chickens, it’s to focus on the legs. Because the breast is exposed and has very little fat, the heat affects it quickly. The legs, being on the bone, cook slower, which leaves you fighting an undercooked leg or an overcooked breast.
For this reason, it’s essential that you stuff the bird. An empty cavity will fill with hot air and cook the breast even faster. I have given some stuffing suggestions here, but you can stuff it with whatever you have on hand. You can even fill it with rolled-up balls of aluminum foil if necessary—anything to stop the heat from entering the chicken undisturbed.
Also, I roast the bird on each side to more aggressively cook the legs. Ideally you have a large Dutch oven so you can prop up the bird easily and use the resulting fond (this page) to make a jus out of the caramelized drippings (though the jus is optional). If you don’t have a Dutch oven, a roasting pan, flat baking sheet, or casserole dish will also work.
Ingrediënten
Serves 4 to 6
- 4½- to 5- pound chicken if you use a 2- to 3-pound chicken, reduce the cooking times to about 15 minutes on each side, 10 minutes on its back
- ½ cup butter softened
- Salt
STUFFING SUGGESTIONS
- ½ white onion unpeeled
- Leeks trimmed
- Lemons sliced
- Garlic cloves peeled
- Apples cored and halved
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Fresh sprigs thyme
VEGETABLE SUGGESTIONS
- Baby potatoes
- Turnips peeled and halved
- Leeks trimmed and sliced
- Celery root peeled and chopped
- Garlic cloves unpeeled
- Pearl onions peeled
- Carrots peeled and chopped
- Fresh sprigs thyme
- Olive oil for coating
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- JUS OPTIONAL
- ½ cup dry white wine
- Salt
Instructies
It helps to know: The chicken must sit for 24 hours before roasting.
- Remove any fat from the inside of the chicken and discard.
- Rinse the chicken inside and out with cold water and pat it thoroughly with paper towels to dry.
- Place the bird, uncovered, in your refrigerator for 24 hours to dry out its skin.
- Remove the chicken from your refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before roasting.
- Preheat your oven to 450°F and place a roasting dish inside for 10 minutes to bring it to medium heat.
- This prevents sticking.
- Stuff the cavity with the vegetables and herbs of your choice.
- Use your hands to coat the entire outside of the chicken with the butter, then sprinkle it liberally with salt.
- Remove your roasting dish from your oven, and carefully set the chicken on its side, using the side of the dish for balance.
- Roast for 20 minutes, then use tongs to carefully flip the chicken onto its other side.
- Roast for another 20 minutes.
- Remove the pan from your oven and turn the temperature to 400°F.
- Leave your oven door open for 2 minutes to cool.
- Use tongs to flip the bird onto its back so its breast is facing up.
- Toss the herbs and vegetables of your choice in a bowl with enough olive oil to coat and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
- Spread them around the chicken and return the pot to your oven.
- Roast until the bird’s skin is browned and the flesh is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
- To test for doneness, poke the leg near the socket.
- If the liquid runs pink, the chicken needs more time.
- If it runs clear, the chicken is ready.
- Transfer the chicken, breast-side up, to a cutting board to rest for 30 minutes.
- This is important: if you cut into the meat without allowing it to rest, it won’t be as juicy.
- If your vegetables need more time, return the pan to your oven and roast until they’re cooked through.
- Transfer the vegetables to a serving bowl and set aside.
- Pour any liquid remaining into a bowl to reserve.
- To make the jus, return the pan to the stove on high heat.
- Add the white wine and use a spoon to scrape up the brown bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the reserved chicken liquid and stir until it comes to a simmer.
- Add salt to taste.
- Once the chicken has rested, flip it onto its stomach and pull out the two small meat pockets around the middle of its back (you should be able to pull them out fairly easily using your hands).
- This is the “oyster”—or the best part of the chicken.
- Give one to your favorite guest and eat the other while you finish cutting the bird.
- Flip the chicken onto its back and use a sharp knife to cut off the wings at the elbow.
- Cut a diagonal slice at each leg so they spread open, and pop each leg out of its joint using your thumb.
- Once the bone is free, cut the remaining skin and flesh to detach each leg.
- Cut just to the right of the center breastbone, and then into the right side of the breast, meeting the middle slice so the meat easily falls off the bone.
- Repeat with the left breast.
- Cut off the wishbone by slicing across and down the breast, a few inches below the neck.
- Slice off the last part of the wing, and pull or cut off any pieces of meat that are left.
- Discard the stuffing (it’s unsafe to eat) and return the carcass to the pot to make chicken stock (this page).
- Serve the jus in a separate bowl for dipping.
- Serve the roast chicken and vegetables together, family style.
