I was craving chicken
August 3rd, 2007
For the past couple of months, we’ve been writing recipes that highlight the clean, cool flavor of unadulterated summer vegetables: cold soups, simple salads, quick sautés. Yesterday afternoon, I was craving a contrast to all that — something rich and meaty roasted in the oven. I decided on chicken. (Looks like I’m not the only one craving chicken this time of year.)
Chip’s post earlier in the week about our meeting with Barbara Kafka reminded me of her preference for high-heat roasting. In her book Roasting, Kafka suggests cranking the oven to 500 degrees for almost every dish. What a way to go — the intense heat of the oven gives just about anything you put in there a heady roasted flavor.
I picked up a whole chicken and pre-heated the oven to 500F. I rinsed the chicken with cold water, patted it dry and seasoned it generously all over inside and out with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. In a large roasting pan, I rested it on a bed of quartered potatoes and whole white mushrooms, and put the pan on the lower-middle rack in the oven.
After 40 minutes the chicken was browned all over. The instant-read thermometer read just over 160F in the thickest part of the thigh. I let the chicken rest on the cutting board for 15 minutes. The potatoes and mushrooms were browned and flavored with fat from the chicken. It all went well with a simple romaine salad tossed with lemon juice, olive oil and lots of fresh parsley. A couple of glasses of Pinot Noir from Washington state washed it all down.
August 3rd, 2007 at 2:19 pm
What an idea? The skin looks perfectly crisp. I’m sure its tasty, on my list.
August 3rd, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Did you cover the chicken at any point, or did you just let it rip?
August 3rd, 2007 at 4:55 pm
What was the size of your chicken? A three-pound chicken might cook in 40 minutes at high heat, but a larger one might not.
August 4th, 2007 at 1:23 am
I have WORN OUT Kafka’s roasting cookbook. LOVE IT. A plain, wholesome roasted chicken is one of the most family-pleasing meals I can make, and it’s SO easy! I do mine almost exactly the way you describe, but I do toss some cut-up lemons inside the cavity before roasting. For my veggies, it’s root veggies and onions. The OVERWHELMING favorite here is a bed of savory-seasoned, cubed sweet potatoes, yukon golds, and onions. A spinach salad or a small dish of fresh asparagus, and you’re a HERO!
I do watch the top of the chicken, and if it looks to be getting overdone, I’ll just lightly tent a piece of foil over the very top.
August 4th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
Made this last night, it was wonderful! I laid it on a bed of potatoes, mushrooms, vidalia onions and laid a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and oregano on top (which I removed before serving) before laying the chicken on top. Everything turned out fabulous. It was crispy on the outside, and oh-so-juicy on the inside. This technique for roasting a chicken is a KEEPER!
August 6th, 2007 at 8:35 am
Thanks folks. Lydia, it was a 3-pounder as you suggest. I should have pointed that out.
August 6th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
Thanks for the tip about roasting at high temp! I’m going to try that. I like to stuff my chicken with some fresh rosemary, a yellow onion, and a lemon, sliced in half before roasting.
Blog about it here: http://chewonthatblog.com/?p=31
August 15th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
made this last night - took a lil longer than 40 for my chicken but man it was good and MOIST. The thigh was @ 160, and the juices ran clear, but the meat was still a bit pink inside… I think it was fine but I am still getting over the poultry thing. Rare beef/fish has never been a problem, and lower temp pork has finally made its way into my vocab, but poultry is still a process..
April 29th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Will it work with chicken pieces?
April 29th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
It will, tina. The best way to gauge the chicken’s doneness is with an instant-read thermometer. Breast meat should reach 150F, and thigh and leg meat 160F.