Simple Roast Chicken 

April 25, 2009 | posted by AKW Jay

Our first recipe is one that falls close to the heart, roast chicken. A properly roasted chicken is one of the simplest things to cook, most delicious to eat and one of the easiest to screw up. Old school French kitchens would even use the notorious roasted chicken and a test to judge a young apprentices value and culinary skill. Legend has it, they always came out dry. We’re going to fix that!

The Perfect Roast Chicken

1 Chicken – Fryer size (3-3.5lbs)
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt & Pepper – We like to use herbs too, but its not necessary
Root vegetables – half onion, 1-2 stalks celery, 1 carrot, 1 small parsnip and 1 potato
Roasting Pan

Prepare the vegetables: Preheat your oven to 425°. Cut your vegetables in a 1/2″ dice/rough cut and place them on the bottom of your roasting pan. Season the vegetables lightly with salt, pepper and fresh herbs if available (thyme is a particularly nice edition).

Prepare the Chicken: Remove any liver, giblets or hearts from the chicken. Blot the chicken paper towel so it’s dry (this will help to make the skin crispy). Sprinkle the inside of the bird with a small pinch of salt and pepper. Tie the two legs together at the very end, with a bit of butchers twine. Rub the bird all over with a light amount of olive oil and season with salt and pepper (don’t be afraid to be heavy handed, this is where you get your flavor). Place the bird atop the raw vegetables in your roasting pan.

Roasting: Place the bird in the oven at a reasonable distance from the heating elements. After the first 30 minutes in the oven, turn the heat down to 375.° The initial high heat helps to achieve the “sizzle” or caramelizing of the flesh that gives roasted meat its distinct flavor. We reduce the heat as the bird will benefit from finishing at a lower temperature after the initial caramelization.

Roast the chicken for a total of 1-1.25 hours (depending on the size of the bird) or until the dark meat reaches 160°. To test your bird for doneness you can take a temperature reading by inserting a meat thermometer into the inner part of the thigh, close to the bone.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, Let the bird rest for 30-40 minutes before you cut into it. This allows the temperature to reach its highest point (170-175°) and then drop to a temperature more suitable for carving. If you cut into right away, the juices will bleed out, steam fills the air and the chicken goes dry. During roasting, the high temperatures pull moisture towards the surface of the meat. Letting the bird rest allows the moisture to retract back from the surface.

Enjoy your chicken with the vegetables you roasted in the same pan. Their flavor will be greatly enhanced by the juices and fats absorbed from the chicken.

Note: Salt and pepper (especially Kosher salt) are the two most important seasonings on your spice shelf. Never underestimate them and never hesitate to use them, but we’ll talk more about that at a later date.