Roast Chicken by Tokyo Record Bar
From chef Zach Fabian:
My mother’s favorite dish almost anytime of the year — or month — is whole roast chicken. There isn’t much more homey than roasting a bird with caramelized vegetables to soak up the drippings. But what really makes this dish is the pan sauce: the most simple of sauces, but often times the most delicious. We always have white wine around to hydrate all those delicious brown bits. Add a little chicken stock for body, and some butter to create the velvety texture. This sauce ties the whole dish together.
Ingredients
Chicken
1 whole chicken, about three pounds
Salt and pepper
1 lemon, sliced
3 sprigs rosemary
3 sprigs thyme
3 tablespoons butter
Vegetables
2 bulbs garlic, tops cut off
3 horse carrots, peeled and cut into obliques
10-15 medium fingerling potatoes, halved long way
4 shallots, peeled and quartered
3 celery stalks, peeled and cut in 1-inch pieces
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Sauce
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 lb. butter
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F because we want to sear the chicken to start.
- Season the inside of the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Stuff the chicken with the lemon slices, thyme, and rosemary.
- Apply butter to the outside of the chicken in an even manner and then season with salt and pepper. Preferably you would truss your chicken but if you cannot, the bird will still taste great.
- Toss the vegetables in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay them in a roasting pan or cast iron pan and place the chicken on top of them, nestling so it will not move and the most skin is available for the air flow in your oven.
- Place pan in oven. After 15 minutes, turn the oven down to 375°F. Turn the chicken halfway through the cooking to promote even browning.
- When the chicken is cooked to a temperature of 165°F in the thigh — about 45 minutes, give or take 5-10 minutes depending on your oven pull it out of the oven to let it rest.
- Remove the vegetables from the pan and reserve warm. If you want, take the roasted garlic and spread on some bread.
- Dump the fat out of the roasting pan and into a small pan. Heat on medium high. Add the white wine and scrape the pan with a wooden spoon to release the brown bits. Once the wine has reduced by half, add the chicken stock. Reduce that by half and then add the butter and turn the heat down to low. Swirl to create an emulsification. Adjust the seasoning and turn the sauce out into a sauce boat strained or as is.
- Cut your bird how you like. Arrange the vegetables so you get a little bit of everything. Serve with that delicious pan sauce.
