Perfect Roast Chicken, Every Time

Roast chicken in a black shallow pan, scattered with green herbs

Use this no-fail recipe for a comforting dinner everyone will love. 

by Erin Henderson

Years ago, chefs I worked with would often ask potential hires to roast a chicken as part of the interview process. The idea being that with such a simple preparation, there’s nothing to hide behind – no finishing touches of truffle oil, no dollops of foam, no pearls of caviar adorning the plate – a back-to-basics recipe reveals someone’s culinary acumen quickly and easily.

Roasting chicken isn’t difficult, but the challenge lies in the simplicity. Juicy meat, crisp skin, penetrating flavour requires patience in cooking, and good ingredients. That’s it. But that’s everything.

I’ve tried many versions of roasting chicken – smearing butter under the skin, but that just resulted in soggy skin. Roasting it upside down to allow more fat to drip through the breast, which just became an annoying, and slightly dangerous, extra step when it came time to flip over the hot bird. This is the version that works for me, without fail, every single time.

I strongly recommend investing $10 in a good, digital meat thermometer and purchasing the highest quality chicken your budget will allow.

Most store-bought chickens are about four pounds, which should work for four people. If you are serving a bigger crowd, simply roast two birds. That way there are more wings and legs to go around for those who favour those cuts. A 4lb chicken should take about an hour and 20 minutes to cook through (regardless of how many birds are in the oven.)

Use up leftover meat in this terrific chowder, and don’t throw away the carcass. It makes beautiful stock that can be frozen for future use.

Pair a classic Chardonnay for this creature comfort meal. 

Perfect Roast Chicken

Serves: 4

Chef level: Easy

  • 1 high-welfare, humanely raised chicken (roughly 4 lbs)
  • Handful of mixed aromatic herbs like thyme and rosemary
  • 4 or 5 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
  • 1 lemon cut into quarters
  • ½ cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
  • ½ cup good quality chicken stock
  • 3 Tbsp good, salted butter, softened
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  1. Preheat the oven to 475°F
  2. Wash and dry the chicken inside and out. Pluck any remaining feathers and remove the neck and giblets, and save for making stock later.
  3. Stuff the cleaned chicken with herbs, lemon, and garlic.
  4. Spread softened butter on top of the skin, being careful not to tear it, and sprinkle on lots of salt and pepper.
  5. Put chicken on a roasting pan with a rack and pour the wine and chicken stock in the bottom of the pan.
  6. Place the pan in the oven and immediately turn down to 425°F
  7. The chicken is ready when a thermometer stuffed into the thickest part (don’t touch the bone) reads 180°F. Juices should run clear.
  8. Let sit, covered with foil, for 30-40 mins until cool enough to handle, then carve.

While the chicken is reasting, make the jus.

In a sauce pan set over medium heat melt 2-3 Tbsp butter, add an equal amount of flour and whisky constantly until a smooth paste forms and it's slightly golden. Pour a cup of the drippings from the roasting pan into the sauce pot and stir until smooth and no lumps are visible. Add the rest of the drippings and stor to combine. Turn the heat to low and serve with the chicken when ready. 

 

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