I love roast chicken. The smell, the simplicity, the crispy skin. But how to make it so that it is consistently moist can be a problem. We’ve tried a number of versions and I’ve settled on a house roast chicken as a variation on Alice Water’s technique from The Art of Simple Food. I love this cookbook. I love how she talks you through a recipe and I love her technique. My variations include, making a bed of sliced onions on the bottom of the cast-iron pan, filling in any open side areas with a mix of root vegetables to roast alongside the chicken- potato/carrot/turnip/rutabaga. In terms of seasoning. I like to make little bundles of herbs from our herb bed- chives/rosemary/thyme/oregano/lemon thyme and put it both under the skin and in the cavity. I add pats of butter around the top of the chicken, salt and pepper both inside and out. Add garlic- minced or whole bulbs around, on and in the chicken and lastly cut open a lemon, squeeze it over it and place the rest of the lemon in the cavity. I’ll usually add a meat thermometer probe after I flip the chicken a second time to keep an eye on it. It’s been delicious every time. And although she suggests seasoning a day or two ahead of time, I’m not that organized. The chicken sits out on the counter while I gather and clean the pan off and prep the vegetables. Then I put it together and put it in the oven.
a 3 1/2-4 lb bird takes about an hour to cook -check after 50 minutes
The bird is ready when the legs and thighs are no longer pink and the breast is still juicy and tender- thighs are the last part done-
servings 4 servings
Ingredients
1 chicken 3 1/2 -4 lbs
salt
pepper
-a few sprigs thyme, sage, oregano or rosemary under the skin of breasts and thighs before roasting
-a few thick slices of garlic clove under the skin, or minced on top
-stuff the cavity with herbs and a squeezed lemon
Preparation
-Tuck wing tips up and under to avoid burning
-Season 1-2 days prior if possible
-Season inside and out with salt and pepper (1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper)
-Cover loosely and refrigerate
-At least 1 hr before cooking, remove and place in a lightly oiled pan, breast side up
-preheat oven to 400 F
-Roast for 20 min, turn the bird over breast side down
-Roast another 20 minutes
-Turn the bird over again breast side up and roast till done, another 10-20 minutes, or longer if the bird is larger. Use a meat thermometer to gage and take it out of the oven when the temperature registers around 170. It will continue to cook.
Let rest 10-15 min before carving
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/ALICE-WATERS-ROAST-CHICKEN-52380011#ixzz2kFqqhB8V
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