Menu

    Killer Roast Chicken

    The ultimate test of a good cook!

    We pay great homage to the foods we eat by carefully preparing and sharing them with the people we love. To the cooks who prepare them, we are always grateful.

    The one meal we consider the mark of a great cook, is a perfect Roast Chicken.  Nail that, and you’ll have our hearts (and just about everyone else’s too).

    Below is the simplest way we’ve found to turn what could be an average meal into a night in Provence.

    The key is to start with a great chicken (we love our guys at Esposito’s and Flying Pigs Farm) and we often roast multiple chickens at a time just for the leftovers and of course, the bones which will become a deliciously rich stock.

    Share This:

    Killer Roast Chicken

    Prep Time: 15 mins
    Cook Time: 1:15 Hr
    Serves: 4

    Ingredients

    • 1 Large Whole Chicken
    • 1 Bunch Carrots
    • 1 Head Celery
    • 1 Large Yellow Onion
    • 1 Bottle Dry White Wine
    • 1 Lemon
    • 1 Head Garlic
    • 1 Bunch Rosemary
    • 1 Head Parsley
    • Salt
    • Pepper

    Step by Step

    1. Cut all the vegetables into big chunks and put in bottom of a 3” deep roasting pan
    2. Wash chicken, remove the little package that's stuffed inside (if there is one, it contains the liver & heart - do not use for this recipe), if there is a neck bone put it in the roasting pan
    3. Finely chop the 2 sprigs Rosemary and 6 cloves of Garlic
    4. Place chopped Rosemary and garlic mix under the skin of the chicken. That's right, under the skin
    5. This is easily done by slipping your fingers between skin and flesh gently separating the two
    6. Cut Lemon in half and stuff into the bird's cavity along with one sprig of Rosemary and 3 crushed Garlic Cloves
    7. Truss the Chicken by cutting little slits in the skin at the open cavity end of the bird and push the end of the legs through the holes to hold cavity closed (see photo)
    8. Pat dry the chicken with paper towel and place on top of vegetables
    9. Give the chicken a generous hit of Salt & Pepper and put into a preheated 450 degree oven, middle to upper rack for 15 minutes until skin turns lightly brown. Lower heat to 350
    10. Add one cup water to the pan and pour 1/2 bottle of white wine
    11. Keep basting the bird with the pan juices throughout the entire cooking time, adding a little wine as you go (every 10 to 15 minutes). You will end up using most of the bottle by the time you are done
    12. Here is the tricky part. It should be around 1 hr 15 minutes till done but that totally depends on the size of bird. A good base is to factor 20 minutes per pound
    13. After you cook a few , ya kind of get the feel for when they are done. For now , use the thermometer. Put it in the thickest part of chicken (thigh) The cooked temp is 165 degrees
    14. Remove chicken and let it rest under foil for 10 minutes before serving (carving / breakdown lessons to come!)
    15. Put the pan with all the remaining juices and vegetables on the stove top, add any remaining wine and reduce the liquid down until it reduces by half. Strain and serve as gravy

    author-avatar

    Peter is an award winning food photographer who’s work can be seen everywhere from magazines, billboards, tv commercials and in virtually every supermarket aisle.

    No Replies to "Killer Roast Chicken"

      Leave a reply

      Your email address will not be published.

      Simple Share Buttons